Resurrection
by Stephaniiie
Summary: What would abby do if she had the chance to change things? What if you could bring people back from the dead? Spoilers for episode 7 series 2 and if you've seen it, you'll know who "people" are. stephen/ abby. nick/ jenny. mild language. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Five Days

**Author's Note- **I think I have an idea for a multi-chaptered stabby fic! Okay. This is it. As always please review because reviews equal happiness to me and umm... I'll pay you in the tons of muffins and cookies GPR has given me for reviewing on her stories so much.

**Disclaimer- **Well, it's called a disclaimer so you can guess what's coming next! Don't own and, regrettably never have.

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It was exactly two weeks since Stephen had died. Not a single day was the same without him. Abby regretted so much now that he had gone: she regretted not forgiving him for his affair with Helen; she regretted not trusting him when he turned up with Helen; she regretted her last words to him; but, most of all, she regretted that she hadn't got to know him better and break through the solid brick wall he had built around his heart.

Abby sighed heavily and shivered as she trudged on through the graveyard. She knew her way like the back of her hand: after all, she had come here every day for the past fortnight. She stopped in front of the little wooden cross that read his name.

"Miss you." She whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Mmm... Don't we all." A harsh voice stated and Abby knew who it was even before she spun round to come face to face with someone she had hoped she'd never see again. Helen Cutter.

"You... you killed him!" Abby stuttered.

"No I didn't." Helen perched on a small brick wall, "Why on earth would I do something like that?"

"Yes you did." Abby replied coldly, "If you had never roped him into your little plan, he'd still be alive."

"Well, if we're playing the blaming game, I could easily pin it on you." Helen sighed.

"How?" Abby felt her pulse quicken, but stared her out, her eyebrows raised in a mocking glare.

"Well, if you hadn't been so proud, if you had gone after him, you could have made him change your mind." Helen pointed out. Abby knew that that point had hardly anything to do with Stephen's death, but Helen had picked a sensitive spot that she had been arguing with herself and Connor about ever since.

"Yeah, like he'd have listened to me." The petite blonde told herself as well as Helen.

"He would." Helen insisted, "He would've done anything for you, Abby Maitland. He would've died for you. And he did."

"He died for everybody." Abby argued in what was barely a whisper as her eyes wandered back to the grave, "He's a hero." She smiled slightly, although she wished that he hadn't been a hero. If he hadn't, he'd still be alive. Helen laughed at her spitefully.

"Hero?" she scoffed, "Idiot, more like."

"Shut up!" Abby jumped to her friend's defence, "He was a hero. He was braver then you'll ever be."

"I'm not saying he wasn't." Helen always had to have the last word. There was a long pause between the two women as they left each other to their own thoughts. Then Helen spoke:

"What would you do if I said you could change all that?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Abby looked at her.

"What would you do if I said you could bring Stephen back from the dead?" Helen saw she had caught the girl's interest as the glimmer of hope appeared in her sea blue eyes and the expression of contemplation engulfed her face.

"That's impossible." She eventually sighed miserably, pushing away the idea. Helen could tell that she had desperately wanted it to be true.

"But it's not impossible." Said Helen. Abby glared at her, fresh hot tears staining her cheeks.

"You're taking this a little bit too far now." She said, "Please. Just leave me alone."

"It's true Abby," Helen continued, causing Abby to grit her teeth and look at the ground in annoyance, "God knows, I've tried hard enough." Helen muttered and Abby shot her a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" she enquired, now intrigued.

"I've tried to get him to come back, but he only wants one person." Helen explained, "One person who he thinks doesn't want him back."

"That's not true!" Abby cried.

"Tell him that yourself." Helen told her.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Abby yelled, "You can't bring people back from the dead! You just can't!" her voice was hushed now, but Helen could see that she was weakening.

"An anomaly will appear in five days." She said to the blonde, ignoring her last comment, "If you want Stephen back, pack your bags and come and find me. I'll be waiting just on the other side of the anomaly. But don't tell anyone and don't give them time to follow you through." She finished and walked off before Abby had time to think. She watched Helen retreat until she could see her no more before looking down at Stephen's grave. Her heart ached to see him agin- just once so she could tell him how she really felt, but she couldn't help but feel that she was being pulled into one of Helen's crazy schemes. Stephen had trusted Helen and look where he was now. But she had that niggling feeling that Helen, for once, was telling the truth. If she was, Abby could see him in five days. If not... who knows? If she accepted, she could be dead. But if she didn't... she might be passing off the best second chance she'd ever been offered. She had five days to choose.

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Right. What do you think? Please review and more will hopefully follow soon...


	2. Falling

**Author's Note- **I don't know if anybody actually reads these but oh well, i will continue to write them anyways. This chapter is not incredibly relevant to the whole story but it DOES have some clues in that will be picked up on later into the story...

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"Connor, I'm slipping! I can't hold on!" Abby screamed as she lost the hold she had on the cliff. Now only Connor was holding her above a rocky death. But suddenly someone pushed Connor out of the way and another hand had a firm grasp on Abby's wrist. She looked up into Stephen's face, startled to see that it looked angry.

"You could have saved me," he said, "But you didn't."

"Stephen, I'm so sorry." Abby cried, grasping his hand so tightly that her knuckles were white, "I didn't want you to die- anything but!"

"You make me laugh." He growled scornfully.

"I didn't Stephen!" the tears began to spurt down Abby's face, "Please believe me! I love you!" the words she had been too scared to utter before were now out in the open, though they were rushed and sounded meaningless.

"Bye Abby." He laughed and let her arm go. She screamed as she felt herself falling, he heavy exhausted body, rushing towards its fate. But then, someone else grabbed her hand.

"Well? Are you coming?" Helen asked, just the same way she had after revealing her and Stephen's affair and then she was falling yet again.

Suddenly she woke in a cold sweat, silent tears running down her cheeks. The door slowly creaked open and Abby looked up to see Connor's silhouette. He came over to her side.

"Are you okay?" he asked, though it was clear that he wouldn't believe her if she said yes, "You were yelling."

"Yeah." Abby nodded even though she knew that he knew that she wasn't. He perched on the edge of her bed and pulled her into a gentle hug. Abby breathed in his soft, minty smell and sighed as more tears dripped down onto his shoulder. As she cried, she remembered the day hpw it actually had been- Connor had saved her. She knew his feelings for her, but she had never liked him the same way back. Stephen was always the one that she wanted, but Connor had never let go until he had admitted his feelings. And then it was a bit too late. If he had made his move when she was hurting after the revelation of Stephen and Helen's affair, then she probably would've fell into his arms, but she had got over it and now... well, she had completely fallen for him all over again.

She didn't say anything- she didn't need to. Connor knew exactly what was wrong and he couldn't help the jealousy hitting him hard. He wanted her to himself and he'd thought that having Stephen out of the way would make things between them better, not worse. Since he had died, she hadn't been sleeping well and he had thought that her grief would retreat at some point, not escalate as the days went on. But then, he didn't know about Helen's proposal- Abby had kept quiet, like she promised and she wasn't planning on breaking it...

Eventually, they fell asleep in each others' arms, Connor snoring lightly and Abby dead to the world, not even feeling Connor's breathe on her peachy skin. For now, all was quiet.

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It is relevant, I promise. Nobody's reviewed this story. First person to do so gets... my gratitude big time. That's worth having, people as I may be more generous with virtual chocolate and marmite with coleslaw... :)


	3. Secret Memories

**Author's Note- **Sorry that none of my chapters are very long. And, just to be nice, neither's this author's note! I am putting this on at lunch time at school! Yay! :) I'm not sure why that's so good, but oh well. Please continue to review and I will UD soon.

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Abby was sat on the sofa at the ARC the following day, deep in thought. She had seen Cutter, Jenny and Connor throw concerned glances at her throughout the morning but had simply chosen to ignore them. She knew that they were worried about her. She knew that they only constantly asked her what was wrong because they cared. She knew that she snapped back at them without reason. She knew that they saw how badly she was taking Stephen's death. And she knew that it was all Helen's fault. It was Helen's fault that she was so withdrawn, so empty, so emotionless or over-emotional.

"Abby." Someone called her name, breaking her chain of thought. She looked up to see Cutter indicate that he wanted her to come over. Putting down her coffee, she slowly stood and walked over to the older man's side.

"Come with me," he muttered, "I've got something for you." Abby nodded and followed him along the corridor and into his study. He held the door open for her, then shut it behind her before walking over to his desk and pulling open a drawer. He reached in and bought out something square-shaped and wrapped in tissue-paper.

"Stephen's parents asked me to go through some of his things..." he fiddled with the package, obviously nervous to be around her due to her newly acquired short-temper, before handing it to her gingerly, "And I found this." He nodded at it.

Abby looked at it for a bit, almost scared of what she would find inside, like it could be something more harmful then all of the things that they had encountered. But then she gently tugged at the wrapping paper, careful not to tear it. It was a photo in a silver frame. It was a photo of her and Stephen- they hadn't posed or anything, Abby hadn't even known that it had been taken, but she could remember it clearly in her mind's eye. It was a couple of weeks before Helen's startling revelation, a couple of weeks after he had been bitten by the scorpion. They hadn't known each other for very long, but, already, the tell-tale signs of friendship were there. They were sat close together on a brick wall outside the university. It was the hottest day of the year and they both had ice creams in their hand. Abby remembered him laughing at her as she got it on her nose and attempted to lick it off. She remembered how she had laughed when he had playfully dunked his nose in his ice cream _and_ licked it off. She now felt so hollow, an ache in her chest at seeing his grinning face. She hadn't laughed like that since he died, had barley laughed at all, and now she knew that she would never laugh like that again. Unless she saw him again. Unless it _was_ possible to bring people back from the dead. She felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"You've lost weight." Nick looked at her, quiet concern in his eyes. When Abby didn't reply, he changed the subject, "It was me who took that photo," he came over to her side so that he could see it as well, "It was such a good one that I gave it to Stephen. I never saw it again, in his wallet, on his desk at work, in his house. Then, when I was looking through his bedroom, I found it." He paused, deciding that Abby had a right to know how Stephen must've felt about her, "Under his pillow."

Abby felt her bottom lip quiver as more tears threatened to fall and she turned to face Nick. She opened her mouth to say thanks, but something else came out instead.

"What was Helen like?" she blurted, realising that it was the wrong thing to say as Nick's face fell, "Before she disappeared, I mean?"

"Well..." he shrugged, sitting down, "I guess we must've got on at some point, but most of our marriage was full of arguments, disagreement and lies. I think our relationship was over long before she disappeared, but it was a big blow for me anyway and I spent 8 years being ignorant to the bad things that happened between us, but when she came back, I remembered just how bad it had got. She's always been good at lying, deceiving people, tricking people." He glanced at his friend, who was now also sat down, "He didn't love her, you know. Stephen never loved her- he was tricked." He took Abby's hand, completely unaware that he had got the wrong end of the stick. Abby wondered whether it was the truth, what the Professor thought or what he hoped was the truth. She gave a small smile and nodded.

"Thanks," was all she said.

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Sorry that its not very long, but short and sweet. Thanks to all reviewers and hope you liked this chapter- it is not over for Abby yet, far from it...


	4. Living with the Dead

Author's Note- Thanks to all reviewers, please keep it up!

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He glared at her, sweat making his dark hair stick to his forehead. She laughed scornfully at him.

"Just tell me how I can get back." He begged, his blue eyes pleading with the woman before him.

"You are funny." She came so close that he could feel her breath on his skin, then she whispered, "They don't want you back."

"Don't be stupid Helen." He growled, though doubt was beginning to form in his mind.

"I was there the other day Stephen." She said, "They're better off without you. She said it herself."

"Who did?" Stephen felt dread pound at him as Helen leant over his shoulder so that he couldn't see her face and grinned as her plan fell into place.

"The blonde one." She whispered in his ear.

"Abby." Stephen whispered, his face drooping.

"Yeah," Helen felt her grin get bigger, "But I want you." She said.

"Get off me!" Stephen pushed her away, "You're a crazy, scheming bitch!"

"Now, now, Stephen." Helen raised her eyebrows, "That's a bit harsh- I'm just protecting you from yourself... and her."

"Abby wouldn't do that."

"Well, a few weeks ago... maybe not, but now?" Helen sighed, "Well, she's got the geek now." She watched Stephen's expression as he thought about it- it did seem possible that Abby would be perfectly happy with Connor, but she would never say that... would she?

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Abby gazed at the photo Cutter had given her.

"Abby..." Connor started as he gave her a concerned glance from across the room. Abby knew what he was getting at, but decided to ignore it. So what if she carried the photo everywhere with her- she was mourning. As she looked at his face she realised how desperately she wanted to see him again. She'd give anything just to see him again, even her own life. It was in that split second that she made up her mind.

That night, she lay awake for what seemed like hours until she knew that Connor was asleep. Then she got up and began to pack the things that she would need for her trip through the anomaly in an old worn backpack...

When she thought she had everything, she got back into bed, her mind ticking. What if it was a trick? A trap? Merely bait in another of Helen's elaborate schemes? What if she was dead by tomorrow? Abby decided that she didn't care- life was barely worth living without Stephen there. Slowly, sleep crept over her body, claiming it and the dream kicked in...

"Abby!" someone called her name. She turned, desperately looking for who it was, but all she could see was white light. It was everywhere and there was nothing else there.

"Abby!" they yelled again, but this time the call was laced with desperation. Abby tried to shout something back, but no sound came out of her open mouth. The whiteness was too much, too bright, too everything that it scared her. Abby ran her fingers through her hair, panic beginning to set in as she realised that there was no way out. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the white, but the darkness was just as overwhelming as the white on the outside, so she opened them again. But the glaring white had gone and she was standing on thin air. Suddenly the same image passed her over and over again. It was a white circle with two parallel lines going through the middle. Abby stared at each repeated image until she thought that it was imprinted on the insides of her eyelids.

"Abby?" someone said again, though it was a different voice now and closer. Then, a door appeared. Through it, she could hear hushed voices and, though she could only hear one word, that word, meant the world to her. The word was "Stephen". Abby started towards the door and reached out to the handle when someone called her name again.

"ABBY!" Connor shook her awake, spluttering and gasping for breath.

"Something's not right!" she shook with fear in Connor's arms and he held her close, shaking his head.

"Abby, you're scaring me." He whispered.

"Connor, listen." Abby said, "Something's wrong. They're gonna do something to Stephen. Stephen's in danger." She whimpered. Connor looked at her sadly.

"Abby..." he said gently, "Stephen's dead." Abby didn't speak. She knew that. But she didn't want it to be true, not after waking up for so many mornings and wishing it to be a dream. After the meeting with Helen nearly five days ago, Abby's life and emotions had slowly fallen apart. She knew that Stephen was dead, but she didn't intend him to be for much longer- not if she went through with it.

"You…" Connor hesitated, "you do know that don't you, Abby?" she nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she muttered after a pause, "Please, Conn, I just had a bad dream- that's all. Go back to bed and don't worry about me." She sighed.

"Yeah," Connor looked at her again, before getting up and walking to the door. He watched her lie back down and pull the duvet back over her cold body, heaving a huge sigh before going into the kitchen and dialling Jenny's number into his mobile.

"Connor?" she answered warily, "Why are you calling at this time in the morning?"

"It's Abby." He said in a hushed voice so she couldn't hear, "I'm really worried about her and I just don't know who to talk to."

"Oh, Connor," jenny sighed sympathetically, "What's wrong with her now?"

"She was having bad dreams again," Connor admitted quietly, "Yelling and screaming in her sleep."

"But that's happened before," Jenny pointed out.

"But it was worse this time- she's really beginning to get to me. It's like... I dunno... But I thought that she'd get over it, if slowly, but she'd get over it, but she's just getting worse... not better. I'm really worried about her."

"I know Connor, so am I. I wish she'd accept the time off that Nick's offered her, but she won't have it- you know what she's like with all the "I'm not ill" stuff."

"I'm not so sure about that- I think she may be getting that way." Connor said, his voice catching in his throat as he remembered, "When I woke her, she said: "Something's wrong. They're gonna do something to Stephen. Stephen's in danger.""

"Who's they?" Jenny wondered.

"I don't know. She said that it was just a dream- denied everything, but just seconds before, it had seemed very real- like she meant it. It was like... it was like she didn't know he was dead, like she was in denial..."

"Maybe she is." Jenny said. Connor sighed again.

"We'll keep a close eye on her tomorrow. In the meantime, just... take care of her and call me if something else happens." Jenny advised, before ending the call. Connor put his mobile on the table and bit his lip, deep in thought. He could remember what Abby was like when Stephen was still alive. When he had died, it was like she had died with him- the girl too alive to die had perished with the man she loved.

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Please review!! Constructive criticism welcome. I've given up on bribery and turned to begging instead. Please??


	5. Secrets, Arguments and Revelations

Author's Note- I am writing this on my 15th birthday (though it will not be posted on the same day) and I hope you like it and keep up the reviews! The button is your friend... wait, i should tell you this after you've read the chapter... okay- enjoy...

Oops... one more thing- Sorry about the vanishing chapter 4- thanks for telling me Sailme 'cos i didn't know it had happened. I am pleased to say that it has now been fixed (oh, the cleverness of me!) and here is chapter 5! (if this disappears as well, please do tell me!)

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Abby awoke early the next morning, but she didn't get up. Instead she lay awake in bed listening to the hum of the heating system as it warmed up the flat. She heard Connor get up two hours after she had woken but, when he checked up on her, pretended to be asleep. He had come right up to her, as if intending to wake her but, apparently, thought better of it and left her. She heard him boil the kettle and turn on the TV. She listened to who was probably her very best friend for about an hour until the phone rang.

"Hello?" Connor answered lazily. There was a pause, "Oh, hi." She heard him say, "Yeah, yeah we'll be there soon. Bye." The flat was quiet but then Abby's bedroom door clicked open and Connor came to her side.

"Abby?" he asked tentatively. Abby warily opened her eyes, pretending to be just waking up.

"Anomaly." Was all he said, but no explanation was needed. He left muttering something about waiting for her, but Abby was barely listening- her thoughts were on something else: the anomaly that would change her life (or end it) forever had just opened...

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Stephen sat on the stony ground, his hand resting in his hands. A year ago, he still hadn't met Abby, but now he couldn't imagine life without her… life without loving her. He had thought that she had felt the same way, but now he realised that, whatever she may have felt before, she felt for Connor now. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that it was true and, for once, Helen was being truthful. But why wouldn't she let him go back? Why was she keeping him here? Why wouldn't she just let him die? What life was this? When he was awake, he sat in the hot desert land, a period that he could not identify without coming across any predators and without Connor's detector. When he slept, he always dreamt of the glaring white light where he had been before Helen had bought him here. He always wondered round calling her name in the dream and when he was sat in the stifling heat with nothing to do, she occupied every thought that came into his head: her pretty face, her girly smile, her much less girly attitude, her floppy blonde hair, her sea-blue eyes, her determination and sheer gall. He wished he had something to force Abby from his mind, but Helen had left him alone in a desert that stretched out for miles with nothing living or otherwise to distract him. He knew this because the first day that he'd been brought here he'd tried to get out, find a way back, anything, but had failed. He had walked for miles, only continuing to walk because he was convinced that if he stopped, the anomaly leading him to home, and Abby, would be just ten minutes away. He held out hope until the hope had become paranoia and kept walking with tears of frustration staining his stubble-dotted cheeks. Then, Helen had appeared out of nowhere and simply laughed at him. He would've tried again if Helen hadn't told him that Abby had said that they were better off without him. That had hurt more than anything Stephen had ever encountered and he had had enough brushes with death to be very hurt.

He lifted his head and squinted at the bright sunlight. Helen was gone again. He had no idea where she went or how she got there, but he did know that she wouldn't be back for a while. He didn't know how long a while was as time went by so slowly with nothing to do, but what can't have been very long still felt like days. Even so, he didn't know when she'd be back, how she'd get back or even if she'd get back at all.

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Abby pulled on some khaki coloured combats and a red top, grabbing her black jacket before going to join Connor in the kitchen. He heard her come in and turned to face her.

"Come on then!" she said brightly, trying to ignore the butterflies and guilt she felt. She had planned to make out she'd forgotten something when they were just about to leave and come back to get her bag, so as not to look suspicious.

"Abby..." Connor started nervously, "I've been thinking..."

"Makes a change," Abby muttered under her breath before speaking loud enough for him to hear: "About what?"

"I don't think that you should come this morning," he blurted.

"What?" Abby cried, "Why not?"

"I just... I... You've not been sleeping well recently and well, I was thinking that maybe coming along to erm... you know... watch the anomalies can't be helping..." he muttered, "And I think maybe you'd be better off staying here..."

"Connor, I'm coming and there's no way you're gonna stop me." She scowled at him, "Just 'cos I've been having bad dreams doesn't mean I'm ill and can therefore join you in 'watching' the anomalies."

"I dunno Abby..." Connor tried to be firm.

"You dunno if I'm ill or not because I've been waking up from dreams in which Stephen was alive slightly confused for about three seconds?" Abby glared at him and noticed that he shrank away from her as she ranted. She knew she had got it right and Connor must think she had something wrong with her mind.

"It's just that you seemed pretty sure that he was still alive and Jenny and I were kinda worried about you…" Connor made a feeble attempt at an argument, but she interrupted him angrily.

"Jenny?" she checked. Connor gulped and nodded.

"Since when did _Jenny_ need to know that I had one bad dream?" Abby threw her hands in the air.

"Jenny, Cutter and I have been worried for ages!" Connor raised his voice, angry now that she hadn't noticed their concern, "They have as much a right to know as I do! And it's not just one dream Abby, you know that. You've dreamt about him every night since he died!"

"Shut up!" Abby shouted, close to tears, "You don't know anything, Connor!"

"Well, how come every night for the past nearly three weeks, you've been waking me at god-knows-what-time in the morning screaming _his_ name in your sleep?" Connor returned her glare that was now rapidly dissolving into a sad expression. He felt a bit guilty for bringing it up now, but he couldn't stop, "For the past three weeks you've been so wrapped up in yourself! You're not the only one who misses him you know! Cutter had been best friends with him for years but he doesn't cry constantly and has actually smiled since Stephen died because he gets on with life, Abby! He doesn't look bloody suicidal!"

"That's because he never _loved_ him!" Abby suddenly screamed, stunning both Connor and herself into silence. There was a long awkward pause. Then Abby broke it as she walked over to the front door: "Come on."

Connor made the decision to tell Jenny Abby's revelation and, if he wasn't so wrapped up in the anomaly, Cutter. As he had said, they had as much a right to know about these things as he did. He climbed into the passenger seat next to a damp-eyed Abby. He studied her expression- she looked a cross between angry and sad.

"Abby…" Connor started his apology, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

"I forgot something." She mumbled, getting out of the car again.

Connor watched as she unlocked the door, letting herself in. Then Connor remembered something. He patted his pocket, a smile coming to his face as the jingling noise met his ears. Abby had got two pairs of keys cut so that if something happened at an anomaly site, then they were prepared for the worst. She'd kill him later but Connor fought with his conscience by telling it that it was for her own good- they couldn't have her at an anomaly site in this state. And he'd buy her chocolates later. And maybe beg for forgiveness...

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Helen watched Stephen as he slept. She thought of the joy that would show on his face if she bought Abby back with her. If. Then she thought of how the joy would be tainted with confusion because he still thought that Abby didn't want him.

He was obviously dreaming again as he murmured her name. Abby's name. God, he had it bad. Helen almost felt sorry for him, almost woke him to tell him he could accompany her back to his own time and back to Abby. Sighing, Helen turned round. She _almost_ did a lot of things, but she very rarely got round to actually doing any of them.

She hit a button on a small black object in her palm, a smile playing about her lips. The irony was almost laughable and Helen felt an odd sense of regret as she stepped through the anomaly. On the other side, she pressed the button once again and the glittering shards of light disappeared. A proper smile broke across her face now, though it was worn and slightly strained. Her mobile started ringing suddenly and she answered it immediately, as though it had been expected.

"Well?" the man on the other end asked as soon as she had picked it up, "Is she coming? Have you got her?"

"Not yet," Helen admitted.

"Well, get her soon!" the man fumed, "If you don't get her…"

"Yes, yes!" Helen snapped, "The plan won't work, I know. I'm on my way to get her now."

"You better!" he growled, "I don't care how you do it- you can drag her by her hair for all I care- but remember the stakes: if you don't get her, we'll need a substitute woman and I'm afraid you're the only one I can find…"

"It'll never work if you use me." Helen said.

"I'll find a way- I'm sure a certain Mr Hart will find you appealing if you're the only two humans on earth. His urge will overcome his sense in the end and I for one know how… persuasive you can be…"

"What about part two of the plan?" Helen tried to find a flaw in his second option.

"Believe me, Helen, I would have the same amount of reservations about killing you as I would Miss Maitland and Mr Hart."

"And how many is that?" Helen asked stiffly.

"None." He responded.

"I'll get her."

"Good. No games remember Helen. Our agreement and both yours and your husbands lives are on the line here." The man reminded her, "Have her in the same place as Mr Hart in two days. Fail to do that and you know what happens. You have no escape and, this time, no second chances." Then he hung up. Helen sighed yet again and began to walk in the direction of where she was to meet Abby.

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Meanwhile, Abby dragged her bag out from under the bed and hauled it onto her back. She went into the kitchen and ripped a sheet of paper out of a discarded and unused diary. The heading read: "3rd February 2003." Years off today's date, but that didn't matter- she knew that Connor would pay much more attention to the words on the note then the date. She sighed and began to scribble a desperate, apologetic note for Connor to find when he came back alone, along with detailed instructions on how to keep Rex alive. Suddenly she heard a car engine burst into life that sounded suspiciously like her own mini. She hurriedly signed her name and ran down the stairs two at a time, fumbling with the keys in the lock. She got outside just in time to see the back of her car leaving the driveway without her.

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To be continued! Wow what a long chapter! I hope you liked it and now is the bit where I beg you to review and tell you that yes, the review button is nice and no, it's not going to bite you, and that you know you want to click it! Also, who so you think the man Helen was talking to was? It would be interesting to hear your ideas. I'm going to try and concentrate the next chapter on Nick and Jenny's relationship and hopefully something may happen between them as the story progresses...


	6. Through the Anomaly

Author's Note- I'm not sure why I always write these. I don't actually have anything to say this time, so enjoy! (And please review)

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"CONNOR!!!!" Abby screamed after him, beginning to run after the car even though she knew she was never going to catch it.

Connor allowed himself a glance in the rear-view mirror. If Abby had been angry before, she was seething now. He hesitated but didn't stop- he was sure he was making the right decision in leaving her behind.

"Connor, don't you dare!" she shouted, causing Mrs Parker from across the street to poke her head around her net curtains and watch them. Abby ignored her as an idea came to her, "You're gonna leave me here alone 'in this state'?" she mimicked and grinned when the break lights came on.

Connor rested his head on the steering wheel as he slammed on the brakes. Abby was right- he didn't want to leave her alone. She yanked open the door cursing under her breath.

"Out." She ordered stonily.

"What?" he lifted his head.

"Get. Out." Abby growled. Connor obediently got out and walked round to the passenger door, letting Abby use her own keys to re-start the car.

It wasn't until they were driving in an angry silence that Connor noticed the bag on the floor. "What's that?" he questioned nervously.

"Nothing." Abby replied as she came to a halt at a red traffic light. Connor looked at her. Her face was set in a tense frown, and Connor couldn't tell if she was being truthful or not. She felt his eyes on her, burning questionably through her and turned to look at him. As soon as she looked into his dark eyes, she turned a shade of pink and turned her own pair of sea-blue eyes back on the road. Because of this, Connor knew she was lying.

"What is it Abby?" he asked, "What's in there?"

"_Nothing!" _Abby insisted.

"Tell me or I'll look." He threatened. Abby had nothing to say at this so Connor reached for the bag. She reached out to stop him, but the car behind her started honking its horn at her and she realised that the light had turned green long ago. Connor looked at her, his eyebrows raised in what could have been mild laughter at her mistake. She yanked the bag from his grasp, glared at him and continued to drive, the green light turning to red just after she passed through causing the now fairly big queue that had been waiting behind her to erupt into a cacophony of horns. Connor couldn't hold it in any more and snorted with laughter. If nothing had changed, she would've giggled too, but she had changed and something so pathetic didn't seem funny any more. She glared at him, forcing him into silence.

"Are you okay?" Cutter asked as they approached at the anomaly site in Lyndhurst.

"Yes." Abby answered icily, before walking off to join Jenny and attempt to convince her that she was _not_ insane after whatever Connor had told her. Cutter raised his eyebrows at Connor, who shook his head miserably.

"Jenny told me you called her." He said. Connor nodded.

"She'll be fine- she just needs some alone time." Nick murmured, "Maybe she shouldn't have come today."

"I did try to propose that…" Connor revealed.

"And?"

"She exploded." Connor said. Nick laughed.

"She did!" Connor protested, "And she said something else as well..."

"What?" Cutter noticed the seriousness in Connor's voice.

"Well… she kinda said…"

"INCOMING!" one of Lester's newly enforced soldiers yelled, interrupting Connor mid-sentence.

"Tell me later." Nick slapped his student-turned-friend on the back and ran off to raise his gun at the anomaly. Connor sighed and cocked his pistol as well. Since Stephen had died, he had had to take a more active part on the team, including having his very own pistol! At first, his excitement had been through the roof, but as the days went on, he realised how much he disliked using it and was glad that it was only necessary as a pre-caution and the Special Forces were the ones who used the guns. If Connor had thought he'd feel like James Bond whilst holding a gun, he was either right and James Bond continually felt like a murderer or he was wrong and James Bond must have his head in the sky to think that shooting people was necessary- once had been bad enough for Connor… and that was only a tranquiliser dart!

He shook his head to be free of irrelevant thoughts and focused on whatever was about to come through the anomaly, because whatever it was wouldn't wait for him to shake them out before devouring him.

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Stephen woke from another deep slumber, tainted by dreams, images of her. He gradually sat up, looking round him, but Helen hadn't returned. He had no idea of how much time had passed as he had slept, but he didn't care: time was irrelevant here. Here there was no time, no past, present or future. No love, hate, happiness or any other emotions other than those inside of him. There was not much in the desert: only what was and what wasn't. There were only three things of these that Stephen was very aware of: firstly, that he was here, and that wasn't about to change; secondly that there was no water and his head was beginning to spin; and thirdly, that Abby was another thing that he desperately wanted there but wasn't. He felt his giddiness increase just before consciousness fell away, out of his grasp.

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Helen stood by the right anomaly, waiting for Abby to appear. Although it had only just opened, Helen still expected her to appear any minute, or, rather, _wanted_ her to, so it didn't waste her time. Helen Cutter had never been a very patient person, so she smiled as she knew she could change this so that it suited her. She ran her finger across the touch-screen on the same black box that she had used to open and close the previous anomaly and grinned maliciously as the readings on it showed that the strength of the anomaly had weakened. This meant that the anomaly would only stay open for ten more minutes. Connor's idiotic anomaly detector would tell them that it was about to close and Abby would, hopefully, rush through to find her. If she didn't, Helen was in danger of becoming the "substitute woman" and that would be bad. That would be _very_ bad.

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The anomaly flared, as though something was about to come through, but nothing did. Five home office soldiers, Nick, Connor and Abby were all left pointing their guns at nothing.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Nick asked Connor, who looked down at his detection device, which read that it was getting weaker.

"It's closing." He said, confused.

"But it's only been open for 40 minutes." Cutter came over to check for himself. Abby glanced at the anomaly, certain that it hadn't weakened itself. It was a sign. Whilst Connor and Cutter were puzzling over the anomaly's unexpected weakening, she snuck over to her mini and got her bag out of the back.

"Abby…" Jenny saw the bag, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Jenny. I don't have a choice," was all Abby said in reply.

"Abby?" she asked as the younger girl walked away. Suddenly Jenny realised where she was going, "ABBY!" she screamed, causing Connor and Nick to look round at Abby. She turned to face Connor.

"Sorry." She whispered and then she was gone.

"ABBY!" Connor yelled running after her, but Nick grabbed his shoulders as the anomaly spun one last time, before vanishing completely. There was a brief silence as Cutter, Jenny and Connor looked at the empty space where Abby had just been.

"Abby," Connor said again, though in a whisper this time, then he dissolved into long sobs.

"Connor, she'll be okay- she can look after herself." Nick tried to comfort him, though he doubted it himself.

"No she won't!" Connor shouted, "She argued with me and now she wants to leave, she's pretty much committed suicide! I should've stopped her!"

"Connor, you couldn't have done anything." Nick said, "She's obviously been very troubled and is maybe trying to make things better."

"I knew I should've driven off without her!" Connor began to blame himself profusely, "I should've done something about the dreams- maybe she thinks I don't care."

"Connor, she'll be back." Nick insisted weakly.

"Why didn't you let me go after her?" Connor pushed him away, "I've lost her once, I'm not going to lose her again!" he yelled, determined before running off to Abby's car, leaving Nick and Jenny alone.

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Abby stumbled through the anomaly and fell to the floor with just seconds to spare as it closed immediately behind her.

"Finally!" a harsh voice met her, "I was beginning to think you'd never come."

"Helen." Abby greeted angrily, beginning to wonder if she'd made the right choice.

"You've made the right decision, you know." Helen said, as though she could read Abby's mind.

"I better have done." Abby growled.

"Not being very civil today, are we?" Helen quipped.

"You never said I have to be." Abby shot back, then she looked up at the older woman with a pleading expression, "Can I see Stephen?"

"Yes!" Helen sighed, exasperated, "But not now. We have to go quite a long way first."

"But do you promise that I can see him?" Abby asked.

"Abby," Helen said, very carefully, "I promise that you can see him."

"Good." Abby nodded, though her face was still set into a frown. It was clear to Helen that her promises obviously didn't mean much, but gave enough trust for Abby to follow her through a desert to find the man she loved. She looked up to see that Abby was now stood and looking determined. Helen smiled wryly.

"What way?" Abby asked. Helen pointed East and Abby began to walk away. Helen watched her for a bit, thinking. She decided that Abby could walk with her most of the way. If her calculations were correct, they'd be near where Helen needed to open the anomaly within 12 hours, so they could walk a while before nightfall and then continue the next day. Of course, it would be disastrous for Abby to discover how to get in and out of the anomaly Helen had hidden Stephen in, and also where Abby would later join him so Helen decided that Abby might accidentally become unconscious when they got near. She'd drag it out as long as possible- carrying Abby was not the most appealing thing to do, especially for a long time.

"Come on then." Abby called and Helen laughed, before following her.

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To Be Continued! Da da da!

Sorry I haven't done any Nick/ Jenny stuff in this chapter if you like that sort of stuff, but this chapter is already longer then I expected it to be. I promise it is the first bit in the next chapter! I know because I have already written it- it just needs to be typed up. Thanks to all reviewers, please continue to review! Please? You can see the button… press it! Why not? Be a daredevil!


	7. More to Survival

**Author's Note- **Here's the Nick/ Jenny/ Claudia I promised! I'm not very good at writing this pairing, but I decided to give it a go so… please tell me what you think!

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Nick watched as Connor drove away before turning his eyes on Jenny. She was shaking, her face relaying the shock she felt.

"She's gone." Jenny whispered.

"It's okay," Nick murmured.

"No it's not!" she said, mortified, "I could've stopped her, but I didn't."

"Jenny," he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye, "You couldn't have done any more than Connor or I could've."

"Oh my God." Was all Jenny could say, as tears began to spurt down her cheeks.

"It's okay." Nick said again as he looked at her pained expression. That look reminded him of only one thing:

_He pressed the buttons on the phone desperately wanting a signal, but nothing came. The he heard her scream. Claudia. He dropped the phone back on the receiver and ran back to the room he had just left her alone in, fear knowing at his stomach as he dreaded what he might find._

_He burst into the room to see bird-like creatures with sharp teeth smashing the window pains and Claudia struggling on the floor. He lifted her to her feet and pushed her through to the next room, closing the door just in time._

"_Go! Keep going, keep going!" he urged, pushing her through yet another wooden door and slamming that one shut behind them too._

"_They just went crazy!" she tried to explain hurriedly, "I slipped in the blood and then…" she fell silent as realisation dawned in her face._

"_It's the blood, they can smell the blood." Nick said._

"_Like piranhas." Claudia breathed, "Oh god. Have I got much on me?"_

_Cutter looked her up and down, "A little bit, yeah." He lied, "About the same as me." He wracked his brain for an idea, then one came to him, "Give me your top."_

"_It's getting to be a little bit of a habit." Claudia muttered as she began to unbutton her shirt for the second time that day._

"_What? Asking for your clothes or getting us attacked." Nick tried to lighten the mood._

"_Both," Claudia played along. Then, they heard tapping coming from above them. They both looked up to see the creatures tapping the glass ceiling._

"_Oh, God." Nick whispered and Claudia gasped as the glass broke, shards rushing down towards them. Nick grabbed Claudia's shoulder and, again, pushed her into the next room as the creatures filled the one they had just left. Cutter went to the window and drew the curtains, his mind racing._

"_There's gotta be a phone around here somewhere." He stated, "Okay, I think that there's one in the ambulance."_

"_You're gonna go and get it." Claudia guessed correctly._

"_Yeah. You're gonna be safe here."_

"_What about you?" Claudia asked._

"_I think I can make it." Nick replied, though uncertainly. Suddenly he pulled her towards him and her soft lips were on his own in a brief kiss before he pulled away and looked at her for a split second._

"_I'll be back in a minute." He promised._

Nick shook his head and looked back at Jenny. She was so like Claudia but, then again, so _not._ And that was why he was completely and utterly in love with her.

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Abby ached all over. They had been walking for what must've been hours and she was so tempted to ask Helen for a break. Only her determination and stubbornness stopped her.

Helen looked back to see Abby falling behind a bit and sighed. This might take longer than she had feared.

"Come on," she urged, remembering the man's words: "Our agreement and both yours and your husband's lives are on the line here." Helen shivered in annoyance. Why did she always do as he said? True, if she disobeyed, she'd most probably die as would Nick and their "agreement" wouldn't happen. She sighed- that was why she always did as he said, even murder wasn't too much. Death didn't matter in Helen's opinion- as long as it wasn't her own. And, if she was honest with herself, she wouldn't like Nick to die either. She had left him for more then 8 years, but, deep down, Helen knew that she still felt the same way about him as she had when they had got married, even if his own feelings had swayed. It was typical: for eight whole years, he had not given into temptation, not gone off with another woman when she was pretty much certainly dead. When some men's wives die, they meet someone else, re-marry even, but Nick hadn't. He'd held out hope that Helen might be alive for as long as possible. It wasn't until he knew that his wife was still alive that he fell in love with another woman. Another woman who went by the name of Claudia Brown.

Helen couldn't put her hand over her heart and say that she had nothing to do with Claudia's disappearance: she had seen the living baby future predators and not said anything. But she could put her hand over her heart and honestly say that she had tried to change it: that was how she had got into this mess in the first place. The future was a strange place where you could change things in ways that people could never even think of, let alone try to do. There you could meet people beyond your wildest dreams and get into all sorts of trouble that you could never get out of. There was only one person that would ever escape jail in the future, and that was Helen Cutter.

"Are we nearly there?" Abby asked, as she caught up.

"Nope." Helen responded, breaking her chain of thought, thankful that she hadn't continued to remember the full horror of the jail and the man who had helped her out, "Why? Feet hurting? Oh, believe me, Abby, this is like a quick trip down the road compared to some of the distances I've travelled."

"Whoop- de-do," Abby muttered. Helen snickered under her breath, but did not give any signs that she had heard Abby's sarcastic response.

"We could take a very quick break if you like?" she offered, pausing to see the younger woman's reaction. Helen had expected her to nod or sit down on the hard ground, but, instead, she raised her eyebrows and walked on ahead.

"You've got to be kidding." She called back to Helen, who smiled. The headstrong blonde reminded Helen of how she had been when she was younger.

Abby sighed. She desperately wanted a break, but if Helen was being truthful and they were still far from close to Stephen, then she wanted to keep going and get ever-closer. What she didn't know was that the closer she got to Stephen, the closer she got to the trap that she was walking into…

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Connor pulled up outside Abby's flat and stopped the car. He dreaded going inside and rested his head on the steering wheel as yet another huge, heaving sob escaped him. He sat there for half an hour, putting off going inside _alone_, before he realised he had no choice and couldn't sit there all night. He wiped his eyes and got out of the door. The cold wind rushed at him as soon as the door opened, almost pulling it from his weak grasp and Connor felt the same sense of foreboding attack him as when Abby had been taken by the mer-creature just a month or so previously. Then there had been a little bit of closure, even that was better than now. Now, Connor didn't know why she had gone or whether she'd be back.

He fumbled with the keys in the lock and let himself in. Without Abby, the first thing he noticed, was how "Abbyish" the flat was. The light smell of perfume, the reptiles in all the glass cages that he sometimes thought she felt closer to them than she felt to any person; the homely sofas; the interior decorations that just seemed Abby; and it went on. Every little detail of the flat seemed so significant to Connor now that she was gone.

He walked into the kitchen and dumped his keys on the work surface. Then the letter caught his eye. He walked over and picked it up. His name had been scrawled on the top in what he recognised as Abby's writing and his heart skipped a beat, hope swelling up inside him. He took a deep breath and unfolded the slip of paper, barely noticing the wrong date as he began to read what Abby had written.

"_Connor,_

"_I am so sorry for what I am about to do, or rather, when you have found this letter, already done. I have been planning this for days and nothing you have said, or done, will have triggered this decision. I know what you are like and PLEASE DON'T BLAME YOURSELF as I have left of my own accord. Make sure the others are aware of this as well._

"_I am writing this just after what I said earlier so hopefully you are aware of how true that was. Please don't come looking for me as I will hopefully be back soon. I have accepted an offer from Helen and am going through this anomaly, as instructed by Helen, to see Stephen. What I said earlier was completely true and I have been mulling this over for days and I am so sorry for what I am putting you, Nick and Jenny through, but I am convinced that it is the right thing to do. I will repeat, PLEASE DO NOT COME LOOKING FOR ME because I chose to do this. If I am not back soon, I have probably walked right into a trap, but this still does not give you any reason to follow, as it will probably be set up to drag you in as well. I know that Helen is not the easiest person to trust and, believe me, I have had some difficulty deciding to do this, but I meant it when I said that I love Stephen and I believe that leaving you is worth it, even if I can just meet him once again. Just so I can tell him how I feel. If I have walked straight into a trap, but if I get to see him, then it's worth it. I would honestly give my life for this opportunity and I'm not gonna pass it off easily._

"_Again, I am so sorry, but it has been my choice and I have been planning this for days. My bags have been packed and I'm not going to back down. You are my very best friend and, however much I may have moaned, always will be. Thanks for putting up with me if I don't come back, but hopefully, I will be back soon, with Stephen. See you then although you will probably kill me for leaving you like this, but if I told you what I was going to do, I'm certain you would have stopped me. Sorry._

"_Lots of love from Abby x x x._

"_P.S. Please look after Rex."_

By the time Connor had finished reading, he didn't know what to think or do. His first reaction was to think that she had indeed fallen straight into a trap- it was impossible to bring people back from the dead. But something told him that Abby would've thought this through thoroughly and must believe with huge certainty that she was being truthful. He wanted to hit something- he was so frustrated. How could she simply walk out on them? Connor was convinced it was a trap and was hurt that Abby hadn't talked it over with him. She was right- he probably would've tried to talk it out of her, but he knew what she was like too- so stubborn and it was impossible to make up her mind for her. But, if she had, he would've come with her, helped her, not cast her away as she expected. He realised that this was probably the reason for Abby's inceasing amount of dreams and nightmares. Even when Connor got his mind straight, he could only think of one thing to do about it so he picked up the phone and dialled Nick's number…

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"Professor Cutter." One of Lester's soldiers came up to him and Jenny, "You and Ms Lewis are welcome to leave now that the..." he gestured in the air, unsure of the word.

"Anomaly," Cutter suggested.

"Yes. Now that that's gone." He finished before running off to join the other soldiers.

"It's gone." Jenny whispered, still in a dreamy state, "She's gone."

"Yes, and Jenny, there's nothing we can do about it for now so we'll just have to go home for now, okay?" Nick said, "I'm sure it will turn up again and we can recover Abby."

Jenny simply nodded and walked off towards her car.

"I hope." Cutter muttered as he watched her walk off, "Jenny!"

"Yes?" she turned round.

"Would you like a lift?" Nick asked, remembering that she had caught a lift with the home office personnel, who would be hanging around for a while longer.

"Er…" Jenny mulled it over, "Yeah, thanks." She smiled slightly and followed Nick to his own car.

They had been driving for about ten minutes when Nick's phone began to ring insistently.

"Can you get that Jenny?" he asked her. Jenny nodded her response and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Is this Cutter?" Connor's voice asked nervously.

"It's Jenny. He's driving." Jenny said, "Are you okay Connor?"

"Um…" Connor didn't answer the question, instead asking another one, "Can you and Cutter get here fairly quickly?"

"To Abby's flat?" Jenny checked.

"Yeah." Connor replied.

"We need to go detour via Abby's." Jenny told Nick, who nodded.

"Okay, we're just round the corner from there." He said, "Tell Connor we'll be there in about 5 minutes."

"Five minutes." Jenny said into the receiver.

"Thanks." Connor said before hanging up.

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Stephen woke again and, for the first time, the first thing he saw was the darkness. He shook his head free of the grogginess and sat up. A smile hit his face when he saw the bottle and reached out for it. When he felt it in his grasp, he smiled again, grateful that it wasn't a cruel mirage. He drank almost half of the bottle, before he realised that this may have been the last supply he would get in ages and decided to ration the rest.

Screwing the lid back on the top of the bottle, he looked around him once again. There was no person or thing in sight. But, he reasoned with himself, but someone, must care what happened to him otherwise they never would have left any water. However, something told him that there was more to his survival than simply surviving. Helen needed him for something and it wasn't just because he had been stupid enough to fall for her all those years ago. No, she knew he had regretted that the moment it had happened, let alone nine years later and he'd never take her back. Not if she was the last person on earth. His heart only wanted one person now.

He had dreamt about her again, but this time it was different: this time it had seemed more real. Every night since he had been here, he had dreamt of her being far away or her in one of his memories. But that time, that time she had been in an anomaly- that time she had been coming to find him. That time, she had wanted to see him. That time, she was desperately clinging onto hope that she could see him. That time she was risking her life just to see him again. That time, she had seemed closer than she ever had before…

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I know that this is not the best chapter in the story and is definitely a bit erm... bitty, but it is all important in the long run. Thank you for sticking with it so far and please review. I'm not gonna beg or plead this time, I'm just gonna wish that you want to review because you like the story. :)


	8. Ever closer

Author's Note- Thanks to all reviewers and readers.

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"What's wrong?" Nick asked as soon as Connor opened his door.

"It's Abby." Connor said, standing aside to let him and Jenny in.

"Has she come back?" Jenny gasped.

"No." Connor sighed, "I wish. No, she's left a note. I think you should read it- it's important."

Nick sent him a questioning look, but took the slip of paper he was offering them. He unfolded it as he walked through the flat, coming to rest at the blue sofa, Jenny beside him, also reading. Connor watched them nervously to see their reactions. Jenny gasped and bit her lip when reading some of it, but Nick kept his expression unreadable.

"Oh my God." Jenny said as she finished reading it. Cutter had finished long ago, but didn't say anything or look up, instead choosing to re-read Abby's untidy scrawl.

"Well..." he muttered when he had read it twice, still not lifting his eyes from the note.

"Well, what?" Connor squeaked, scared of what he was going to say next.

"Well, as soon as that anomaly re-opens, we are going to get her." Nick finally looked up.

"But she says not to go after her." Connor pointed out.

"Well, we're going to."

"You think it's a trap then?" Jenny questioned nervously.

"When is anything with Helen not a trap?" Nick growled vehemently, "Of course it's a trap- you can't bring people back from the dead!"

"But…" Connor stuttered, unsure what was going to come after that.

"I'm sorry Connor, but it is a trap. Helen knew Abby's weak spot and caught her on a line, reeling her in all the while. Helen set a trap and Abby's fallen for it hook, line and sinker."

"But what does she want with Abby?" Connor asked.

"I don't know." Cutter admitted, "That's what we need to find out."

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It was getting darker and Abby was tiring. Helen knew that the girl was near exhaustion. She also knew that she wouldn't want to be stopped, but if they didn't rest for the night, Abby wouldn't be able to walk the bit Helen didn't want to carry her for. Dragging also wasn't very appealing.

"We should stop now." Helen spoke, making Abby jump- they were the first words either of them had said for hours after a long silence.

"How far is it?" Abby asked, her face tired but eager, "How far is he?"

"Too far to travel before you collapse." Helen replied vaguely.

"Great." Abby muttered sarcastically.

"You can see him tomorrow. Have a rest. Get some sleep." Helen ordered, looking around for a good place to set up camp. Abby followed her sight of vision with her own line of sight, "Ah!" Helen exclaimed seeing a cave.

"The cave." Abby saw where she was looking, "We're gonna sleep in that cave."

"Yep." Helen responded, although Abby's sentence had been more of a statement than a question, "Come on."

They reached the cave in minutes, Helen venturing in first, seeming to check that there were no predators, before giving Abby the all clear. It reminded Abby of the time she had given Connor her pistol so she wouldn't have to go first. A tear stung her eye as she thought of Connor and how he would be feeling right now. She wondered if he would've found her letter, if he wanted to come and find her, or if he was happy for her. If he thought she was doing the right thing or the wrong thing. If he'd remember to feed Rex and her other reptiles. If he thought she was coming back and if he was missing her. If she was honest, Abby knew the answers to most of these questions: Of course he'd have found the letter and of course he'd want to come and find her. He would think she was doing the wrong thing and walking into a trap because he hadn't had the time to mull it over as she had had. Of course he'd feed Rex and all of her numerous reptiles- he knew how much she cared for them. And she knew, deep down, that Connor would live in fear of her not returning and would never stop missing her for one second. Now, she couldn't stop a tear trickle down her cheek. Helen saw, but didn't say anything. The silence was unnerving.

"You better fall asleep soon," Helen told her, "We've still got quite a way to go yet and you won't make it unless you've had a good night's sleep."

Abby nodded warily as her response- both she and Helen knew that she wouldn't get much sleep. Her mind was racing and her heart hammered against her chest more than it ever had before.

Both women lay their roll-mats and sleeping bags on the floor of the dusty cave, though Abby was so hot, she wasn't sure that she'd need it. She climbed into it fully clothed anyway, and was surprised to find her eyes drooping as soon as she had pulled the soft blanket over her. She reached into her bag and pulled out the photo that Nick had given her just three days ago, but that seemed like a lifetime now. She gazed at it- at him. Not that she needed to though, his image was imprinted on the insides of her eyelids. She felt her heart leap with joy at the prospect of seeing him again, just once would be enough.

She smiled and propped the photo up by her head before closing her eyes and slipping into a merciful sleep.

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Jenny sat in Nick's car as he said goodnight to Connor outside Abby's flat. They had gone along to the ARC to see if there was any hint there of why Helen had wanted to take Abby through the anomaly and whether she'd be back, but there was barely anything helpful. Just a few of Abby's notes that could have meant something, but easily couldn't have as well.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. It was a photo that had obviously fallen from Nick's wallet. Curious, Jenny picked it up and inspected it. She turned it over in her hands so that she could see what or who it was of. When she saw it, she nearly dropped it in surprise. It was _her._ She was standing with Nick, one hand in his, their bodies slightly inclined towards the other person and it looked as though they were… more than just good friends. Jenny glanced over at Cutter's real form, still talking to Connor, before turning the photo over and reading the caption on the back. "Claudia." Was all it said, but it was enough. Jenny turned it back over and studied the woman. This time she noticed that her hair colour was different to her own and her clothes were soft and in pastel colours- things Jenny would never wear. The woman in the photo was most definitely not her, but now she knew that Jenny felt a kind of regret that it wasn't her. She remembered Nick persistently calling her Claudia at first, but that had gradually gone away. Was this Claudia Brown? It was an easy mistake to make, but what startled Jenny was that no one else knew who Claudia was, yet, here she was in a colour photograph in front of Jenny. It might not have been her, but Jenny didn't know who else it could be. She heard Connor shut the front door and she quickly pushed it inside Nick's open wallet, carefully leaving everything as it had been before.

"You okay?" he asked her as he climbed back into the car.

"Yeah," Jenny smiled, "Yeah, I'm fine."

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Helen watched as Abby slept and smiled to herself- she had got her. The plan was halfway there- the hardest bit had been achieved. As soon as Abby saw Stephen, she would be willing to do pretty much anything for him and that would make Helen's job so much easier. The fact that Stephen felt the same way would make it harder, but Helen was sure that they could do something about that. Helen knew that Abby would die for him as much as he would die for her, but he doubted that either would let the other sacrifice themselves on their own behalf. It was so confusing. The easiest way to look at it, from Helen's point of view, was to simply think that soon, they would both be dead.

Then, the photo by Abby's head caught her eye. As she saw their happy expressions, something stirred inside of her, but Helen pushed it away. She didn't feel guilty- she couldn't. Guilt was one of the worst emotions, Helen thought. Guilt chewed you up and spat you back out again. She had pushed guilt away once before and she could do it again. Love was another bad emotion in Helen's opinion. It made you crazy- it was what made Abby follow her through the anomaly and what made Stephen so desperate to get back. It was what made Helen so agitated that Nick might be killed if she goes back on her agreement and it was what triggered guilt. Love and guilt went hand in hand, and neither brought good news.

Helen scowled at the photo and turned over to face the cave's dark depths. She didn't feel tired like Abby did- as she had told the petite blonde the walk they had taken that day had been like a stroll down the road for her. Helen knew that she would lie awake for ages, her mind slowly ticking over and guilt trying to be found inside her, but feeling itself pushed away once again.

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"Stephen!" Abby saw his back, knew it was him before he turned to face her. She was smiling, happy beyond belief, but her smile evaporated when he spun round, a stony expression on his face.

"Abby." He greeted, his voice as icy as his face.

"I..." Abby was suddenly shy, unsure of what to say, "I… I missed you. We all did."

"What are you doing here?" Stephen asked, but began to yell at her without waiting for an answer, "Go away! I didn't ask to be rescued, I didn't want to be saved! I hate you Abby Maitland! Get lost! Go run back to the geek."

"Stephen I…" Abby started, her voice cracking.

"Stephen I what?" Stephen glared at her.

"I thought… I thought you'd want to see me." Abby began to cry.

"Well, you thought wrong." He shouted, "I don't want to say it again Abby. Just leave." Then he turned his back on her again and walked off, leaving Abby sobbing on the ground.

Suddenly she woke, shaking and scared. A new bout of doubts had been raised in her mind. What if Stephen didn't want to see her? What if he thought she was happy without him? Loads of "what ifs" popped up in her mind and she looked over at the photo again. There he was gazing at her as if he'd never turn her away. In the dream, he had been so hostile, so angry. Abby realised that she was still shaking. She glanced round her for a minute, wondering why Connor hadn't come running, but when she caught sight of Helen's sleeping body, she remembered. Fresh tears stained her cheeks as she, again, thought of Connor and how he'd be fending without her. Shaking her head, she lay back down and tried to get back to sleep.

Helen lay with her back on Abby, but she knew that the girl had woken. If Helen had thought that she was going to get any sleep that night at all, she hadn't thought about the younger women's disturbed and noisy slumber. She had tossed and turned in her sleep, muttering his name at first, but it gradually got louder until she was shouting and screaming it. Helen found it unnerving, the way her dreams seemed to pretty much mirror his- they both pined for each other. Helen pretended to be asleep and give Abby some privacy as she wept. Helen had always thought of Abby as a brave girl, but even she could tell that she had fallen apart, crying for the first time since Helen had known her. And she had taken some blows. Helen almost felt sorry for her, but that was yet another _almost_.

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Connor lay awake, again. He was used to lying awake, listening to Abby cry out in her sleep. Now, the silence depressed him. He wondered where she was and whether she was thinking of him, whether she was with Helen or maybe even Stephen. Connor seriously doubted the second option and found himself wondering if Abby was even still alive.

He looked at the digital clock by his bed. It was 2am. He had been lying awake now for the best part of two hours. The very little sleep he had fallen into had been light and plagued by dreams of Abby. It scared him. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep, Connor got up. He turned on the kettle and sat in the cold kitchen. His eyes were drawn to the note that lay still on the work top. He re-read it, his thoughts taking him back to the discussion he and Cutter had had earlier that afternoon and the unsuccessful search of the ARC. Connor sighed as the kettle clicked, telling him it was ready and poured himself a coffee- this was going to be a long night.

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The sun entered the cave in the very early hours of the morning, its light streaming onto Abby's face, waking her up. She squinted into the brightness, before looking around the cave, surprised to see that Helen wasn't there. She sat bolt upright, her heart hammering away in her chest. Had Helen left her for dead? Was it a trap?

"Good morning." Her voice suddenly filled the cave and Abby looked towards the mouth to see Helen stood there, "You've had your lie in. Now we better get moving."

"What time is it?" Abby asked, surprised at how groggy she sounded.

"About 5.30." Helen approximated.

"Some lie in." Abby huffed, but she wasn't annoyed. The earlier they got going, the earlier she could see Stephen.

"Get up, then." Helen prompted, "I'll be waiting outside."

It took Abby ten minutes to haul herself out of the sleeping bag and put it away. She picked up the framed photo, now her most precious possession, and glanced round the cave to check that she hadn't forgotten anything, before following Helen out of the cave.

She found Helen studying an electric compass.

"Doesn't the magnetic field get screwed up?" Abby questioned carefully, causing Helen to look up at her.

"That was quick." She stated, "And no, well, yeah, but I got this one modified."

"The future." Abby guessed.

"Yep." Helen stood, heaving her rucksack onto her back, "Come on then, Watson, we've got a long way to go."

"I'm coming," Abby sighed, though a smile lit up her face as she looked over the horizon- wherever Stephen was, he was quite close. She could sense it.

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Jenny arrived at the ARC early that morning, going straight to the anomaly detector to check that no overnight anomaly had been missed. When satisfied that all was well, she poured herself a coffee. When the door banged open, Jenny sighed and took another mug from the cupboard.

"Coffee?" she asked as soon as Nick came into her sight. He jumped and looked up at her as she smiled at him, "Or tea?"

"Coffee, thanks." He went over to the detector, obviously having the same thought as Jenny.

"I've already checked, Nick." Jenny said tipping boiling water into Nick's mug as well.

"Oh." Cutter responded, more for need of saying something than saying anything useful, "Thanks." He said again as he took his coffee from her, "You're here early."

"Couldn't sleep." Jenny blew on the surface of her coffee and watched as the ripples dissolved. Abby's abrupt disappearance had been part of the reason for Jenny's lack of sleep, but her mind was mostly occupied by the photo in Nick's wallet. She jumped as he spoke again.

"Me either." He admitted, taking a gulp of his own coffee, "And if we couldn't sleep, think of the hell that poor Connor's bound to be going through."

"Mmm…" she responded vaguely, before turning to Nick, "Can I ask you something?"

"Er… sure." Cutter nodded his blue eyes meeting her own dark ones.

"It's about Claudia." Jenny looked at the ground, but Nick's body language told her that he felt uncomfortable, "Sorry. You don't want to talk about it."

"No, I don't mind. Go on."

"What was she like?"

"Erm… well, she was loyal. And brave, and… well, she was everything." The professor said and Jenny saw the affection in his eyes, immediately aware that he had had feelings for this Claudia. Suddenly she found herself wondering if he felt the same way about her, surprised to find hope bubbling up inside her.

"Everything I'm not." Jenny asked, although it was more of a statement.

Nick looked up and met her eyes, "Believe me, Jenny, she was more like you were then you could ever imagine." He spoke, not breaking eye contact. Jenny smiled slightly and opened her mouth to say something, but it was interrupted by Connor's arrival.

Cutter immediately went over to talk to him and ask how he was. Jenny watched them and sighed. Whatever she had to say to Nick would have to wait: they had more pressing matters on their hands.

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Ok, I promise Abby will meet Stephen in the next chapter. Sorry to drag it out for so long, but I had to fit in some other stuff to build up the erm... suspense? Well, I hope that all of the chapters up until now have been good and thank you so much for sticking with it- I know how long and irritating it is when people don't update with the stuff you want them to, but it is coming I promise! Please review.


	9. The Reunion

Author's Note- Okay! Here it is! The bit we've all been waiting for! Well, I've been waiting to write it… I don't know if you've been waiting to read it. Well, anyway- Abby and Stephen reunion in this chapter!

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Helen and Abby had left the cave two hours ago and Abby was beginning to wonder if they were actually going to get any closer to Stephen at all. If she was honest with herself, she was beginning to get quite worried- they were getting further and further away from home with no sign of another living creature, let alone another human being.

"Not too far now." Helen said suddenly breaking the silence. Abby nodded, though she was scared that maybe Helen had never told the truth- not for the first time since entering the anomaly had Abby thought it was a trap. She listened to the crunch of the gravel under her feet. Her supposedly stable walking boots were beginning to fall apart and tear, and Abby felt her patience rapidly going the same way.

Helen watched as Abby drove herself forward, motivated by only one thing. Helen was slowly gaining admiration for the girl- she had expected her to tire by now, at least falter slightly and fall behind, not continue, determination taking over her exhaustion. Helen looked around anxiously. She needed to open the anomaly less than half a mile away and she needed Abby to be unconscious, or at least, not witness it.

"Abby." She said and the blonde turned to face her. Helen noticed that her expression was agitated, her patience stretched.

"What?" she asked, her voice mirroring her annoyance.

"I'm sorry." Helen smiled. Abby sent her a questioning look, but didn't have time to ask what she was sorry for as Helen's fist landed on her temple, hard.

She smiled as Abby fell to the floor, unconscious. She'd be out for a while yet, but Helen decided not to rest and hauled Abby onto her back, surprised to find how light she was. With any luck, this time, the plan would work.

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Connor had been sat by the anomaly detector all morning, but still nothing came up.

"Connor…" Nick came to his side and sat next to him, "Sitting here won't do you any good."

"What else do you suggest I do, then?" Connor asked.

"I know it's hard, but I don't think that the anomaly's likely to re-open soon." Cutter said gently.

"It will!" Connor insisted, "We just have to wait and it will!"

"Connor- just leave it for a bit, if it opens again, we'll know." Nick suggested, "Come and have some lunch with Jenny and I."

"I don't need any lunch- I'm not hungry."

"You are going to come and have some lunch if I have to drag you away from this infernal machine." Cutter said firmly, "Now, come on."

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Stephen could still not sleep. He didn't know why, but worry overcame every other emotion in his body. He looked around himself and took another gulp of water. As far as he could tell, Helen had been gone longer than she ever had before and, though this worried him, he knew that this was not the reason for his sense of worry.

Sighing, Stephen sat up. He had never known such boredom- there was never anything to do in this place, and he hated it. He had always liked to be doing something. That was why he hated being ill- he wanted to be out there, doing something, not cooped up in bed. Being here was ten times worse than being stuck in bed. If he was stuck here alone for much longer, he was afraid he'd go insane.

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Helen hit the button on her own detector one last time and the anomaly disappeared into thin air. She smiled- she had done it. Well, pretty much. True, now that she was in this anomaly, she had no control over the other one and it may open, letting Nick and his now very small team through, but that wouldn't make much difference. Not to Helen anyway- as far as she knew, they didn't know that Abby's abrupt disappearance had anything to do with her.

She stuffed the future detector into her bag and lifted Abby again, holding her limp in her arms this time, instead of carrying her piggy-back-style. She walked another half a mile, before laying Abby on the floor again. She looked over the dunes and grinned. As soon as Abby woke, they would go over the next few dunes and find him. Shortly, he and Abby would meet again.

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Connor bit into his sandwich, deep in thought, when a noise yanked him from his thoughts. He leapt to his feet, and ran through to the next room, where the detector was flashing and sounding the alarm.

"CUTTER!" he called, "Cutter! The anomaly!"

"Where is it?" Nick came over and Connor turned to him grinning.

"It's the same one!" he told Nick, "We can go and get her! We can get Abby back!"

"Maybe." Cutter patted his shoulder, trying not to let him get his hopes up, "Maybe."

They kitted up and got into the range rover, Connor almost bubbling over with excitement. He got in the back, now alone with neither Stephen nor Abby to sit with and Nick got into the driver's seat, Jenny next to him, sat nav. in her hand.

Connor was grinning from ear to ear, convinced that they were going to get Abby back. Nick, however, had a foreboding premonition that something was about to go terribly wrong and it wasn't just Abby that had fallen into Helen's trap.

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Helen looked up as Abby stirred and her blue eyes flickered open.

"What happened?" she slurred, her hand flying to the side of her head.

"You hit your head." Helen lied, "I carried you some of the way to save time."

Abby looked up at her suspicious, "Ow." She moaned, feeling the bruise on her head.

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen- you'll live." Helen sighed, before pointing over the dune, "Twenty minutes that way."

"What?" Abby gaped at her, hope taking over her face.

"Twenty minutes that way." Helen repeated, "He's twenty minutes that way."

Abby smiled, a real smile that lit up her face. She hadn't smiled like that since Stephen had been alive and she stood immediately, ignoring the dizzy feeling she got.

"Come on!" she said, unable to push the smile from her face. Helen smiled at her, but it was a fake smile. She watched the girl hike over the dunes, new hope in her step, and the smile disappeared as soon as Abby's back was turned. Guilt bubbled away inside her, and Helen pushed it away, yet again. No one had died… yet.

Abby almost ran up the last dune, holding her breath. Suddenly felt really nervous- what if Stephen didn't want to see her? What if it was a trap? If she found out that it was a trap now, after she had come this far, Abby didn't know how she'd cope. As she neared the top of the dune, she slowed down, scared of what she might find.

"Go on then." Helen urged. Abby looked back at her and Helen nodded. Abby smiled weakly and took a deep breath before proceeding over the top.

Then she saw him. At first, it was hard to tell who it was. He was huddled in a ball, chin resting on his knees. His back was turned to her so she couldn't see his face and he couldn't see her. She felt her eyes burn and tears threaten to fall as happiness overwhelmed her. Suddenly she realised that she was frozen at the top of the dune. She smiled at her stupidity and ran down the other side towards him. She desperately wanted to call his name, but her voice failed her. Eventually, she came to a halt behind him and smiled.

"Hello Stephen." She croaked.

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It took them 45 minutes to get to the anomaly site where Abby had vanished yesterday.

"Connor…" Nick started, beginning to feel anxious about them following Abby through.

"Yeah?" Connor turned to him, his eyes bright. Cutter sighed, he couldn't disappoint Connor that way.

"Wait one minute." He said, before turning to Jenny, "You'll keep an eye on things here won't you?"

"What?" Jenny cried, "No. I'm coming, Nick."

"No you're not- it's too dangerous." Nick shook his head.

"I can cope with a bit of danger." Jenny raised her eyebrows.

"No, Jenny." Cutter told her firmly, "As much as I'd like you to come along with us, it's simply too dangerous." He lowered his voice, "I think it's a trap. I just can't disappoint Connor, Jenny, you know how much this means to him."

"If it's a trap, Helen will kill you." Jenny pointed out.

"No. I know Helen- she may be many things, but she's not a murderer." Nick said.

"She murdered Stephen," Jenny muttered.

"No she didn't." He said, but he sounded unsure.

"Look," Jenny sighed, "If you're walking into a trap, I'm following you. It's as simple as that." She paused and decided that if she was going to admit her feelings to him, she would do it now, "I don't think I'd like life without you much, Nick. Please don't leave me here alone."

"I know, Jenny." Cutter pulled her into a hug, "I don't want to leave you, but I care for you too much to put you in danger. You'd be better off staying here."

"I'd be better off with you." Jenny whispered.

"No. I'll go with Connor and you can wait here for us- we will be back." Nick said.

"But you can't promise that!" Jenny exclaimed, pushing him away, "You're just going to leave me behind, just as you left Claudia!"

"How do you know about her?" Cutter asked.

"The photo in your wallet." Jenny admitted, "That was her, wasn't it Nick? That was Claudia and you left her behind to go through an anomaly, but when you came back, she was gone."

"How did you know that?" Nick asked again, scared.

"I guessed, Nick. It's really not hard. I know I'm completely different to her, but I feel the same way that she did." Jenny took a deep breath, "I love you, Nick and I always will."

"Jenny, I… I feel the same way," he took her hands in his own, "But don't you see? That's why you can't come."

"Please?" Jenny begged, "I don't care if I die out there. I'd rather die with you by my side then to let you go through alone and die an old woman without ever seeing you again. Please?"

Nick looked into her eyes and sighed, "Lester's going to kill me." He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. Jenny smiled back, before leaning in and kissing him.

"Come on, then." She said, pulling him over to the Connor's side, who was watching them, his eyebrows raised.

"You ready?" Nick asked Connor.

"If you guys are." Connor grinned.

"Right, then." Cutter said, "Let's go make what's possibly the biggest mistake of our lives- but we'll do it together."

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Stephen jumped and looked round. Abby smiled shyly and his jaw dropped as he stood.

"What are you…? How did you…?" he stuttered.

"I came to see you." Abby whispered, a tear of happiness sliding down her cheek. Stephen smiled at her and Abby smiled back. Suddenly she could stand it no longer and she flung her arms around his neck, planting her lips on his and kissing him like she had wanted to ever since they had first met. Stephen kissed her back, one of his hands reaching round her body and pulling her closer, the other nestling its hand in her hair. He swept his tongue over her bottom lip, asking, begging for entrance, and she gladly accepted. She leant towards him, closing all space between them and resting her hands on the small of his back, where they stroked it, her cold fingers brushing his warm flesh.

When they finally broke apart, Abby rested her head on his shoulder.

"God, I missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you too." He said, "More than you could ever imagine."

"But you're…" Abby faltered, "You're dead."

"I'm not anymore." Was all Stephen could say in reply.

"What happened?" Abby lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked into his piercing blue eyes.

"I don't know," Stephen said truthfully.

"I don't care." Abby laughed with relief, "I don't care how or why we are here, just as long as it's not a dream."

"It isn't a dream." Helen interrupted their conversation.

"Helen." Stephen looked up, "What are you doing here?"

"I delivered your friend, here." Helen said, but spoke again before Stephen could ask any more, "You two better get some rest, Abby especially, as it's a long way back."

"Where are you going?" Stephen asked suspiciously.

"I'll be back before sunrise." Helen told him, "I'm just going to go somewhere else so that you two can get better… acquainted. After all, you haven't seen each other for weeks and I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about." She smiled knowingly, before turning and disappearing over the dune. Stephen squeezed Abby's hand and tried to follow Helen, but Abby stopped him.

"Leave her." She said, "She's right- we need a rest. And I want to just make the most of the time I've got with you."

"I don't trust her." Stephen said.

"Neither did I, but she bought me here and I'm okay." Abby pointed out.

"Abby, when she leaves me here, I can't get out," Stephen looked at her, "And, believe me, I've tried."

"Have you tried hard enough?" Abby asked.

"What? Of course I have. I've spent hours trekking through the desert and the only thing that kept me going was the thought that I might see you."

"But… but Helen said that you didn't want to come back because you didn't think I liked you."

"Well, you did say that you were all better off without me. And what does Connor think of you running off to find me?" Stephen asked bitterly.

"What?" Abby cried. She didn't want to argue with him, not after they had been apart for so long, not after she had mourned for him, but she couldn't help it.

"Connor." Stephen repeated, "Isn't he a bit jealous?"

"Why would _Connor_ be jealous?" Abby raised her eyebrows at him.

"Oh, come on!" Stephen sighed angrily, "Stop pretending you don't know what I'm talking about! Helen's told me all about you and Connor! And about what you said, don't try and deny it Abby- Helen heard you say it!"

"Say what?"

"That you thought you, Connor, Nick and Jenny were better off without me! To be honest, I don't know why you came all this way to find me, when you just argue with me." Stephen shouted. At this, Abby looked away so Stephen wouldn't see the tear fall. He sighed.

"Abby?" He took her hand, but Abby pulled it away, "Oh, Abby don't be like that!" he glanced at her, "Oh, god. Abby, I'm sorry. Hey, don't cry." He reached up and brushed his finger over her cheek, wiping away the tear.

"I never said anything like that Stephen." She whispered, "I never have and I never will."

"But…"

"Stephen, what did you say just one minute ago- you don't trust Helen on leaving us here, so why did you believe her when she said that?" Abby interrupted him.

"She lied." Stephen nodded, "Oh, God. Abby, I'm so sorry."

"Stop it." Abby shook her head, "Stop saying you're sorry. I don't know why she said that, but it doesn't matter right now- all that matters to me is that we're together."

"Yeah, you're right." Stephen nodded, "And she's gone now."

"So…" she reached up and stroked his cheek, "We have some re-acquainting to do."

"You are _not_ in any way romantically linked to anyone since I died?" Stephen teased.

"Well… We found your photo. I guess I got quite close to that." Abby grinned.

"Oh dear. When you say… re-acquainting… what were you thinking of?"

"I think you know what I was thinking of." Abby murmured, snuggling into his shoulder.

"Did you know, that you are a huge flirt Abby Maitland?" Stephen laughed.

"Yes." Abby replied, "And I know you love it."

"You are so right." Stephen snickered and kissed her passionately. It didn't look like they'd be getting that rest for a while yet…

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Thank you so much to all reviewers and believe me, this is very far from over! Helen still has a few tricks up her sleeve… and a plan to carry out. And sorry that most of the paragraphs are tiny this chapter. I'd love to know what you think of the reunion! So you know what I'm gonna say next!!!

Please review,

Steph


	10. Trapped, Tricked, Taken

Author's Note- Wow! Ten chapters! Thanks for the few guesses on who the man is- they are very interesting. All will be revealed in this chapter! Well, kind of. In the next chapter really...

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Lester's soldier watched in shock as the anomaly snapped shut behind Nick, Jenny and Connor.

"Lyle?" another soldier came to his side, "Where's Cutter gone?"

"I'm not sure, Cole." He replied, also using the other man's surname.

"Are they going to come back?" Cole asked.

"I'm not entirely sure…" David Lyle said, "I think we should inform Sir James."

"I'll get a phone." Cole nodded.

"They did _what_?" Lester wasn't pleased when he heard.

"The just kind of… went." Lyle said.

"Through the anomaly?" Lester sighed irritably.

"Yes." Lyle confirmed.

"Oh, God." Lester groaned, "And it didn't cross your mind once to try and stop them?"

"No, sorry Sir. We didn't realise what they were doing." Lyle admitted.

"All three of them?" James checked.

"Yes, Sir." David Lyle barked.

"Thank you Lyle. Now we have no team!" Lester fumed, "_No bloody team!"_

"I realise this, Sir." Lyle said, "What do you want us to do about it?"

"Just stay there for a bit. If it re-opens, follow them through. If it doesn't…" he paused, "I'll think of something and call you back." Lester concluded the call and hung up, before groaning yet again and resting his forehead on the desk.

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Helen opened the anomaly and the moment she stepped through, leaving Abby and Stephen behind, she knew that the other anomaly had opened and let Nick and what remained of his team through. She laughed, a harsh, spiteful laugh- there was no way that they'd find Abby and Stephen, not unless they had a detector that could open anomalies as well. Helen knew that there was no hope in hell that they too would have one of those. She hadn't planned to use Nick, Jenny and Connor as well, but they may come in handy. May. If not, they could simply be killed. Helen liked it- being powerful. It just took a click of her fingers and they'd be gone. Of course, she'd never have Nick killed- her feelings for him remained in spite of what he had said about her, in spite of what she knew he felt for both Claudia and now Jenny.

"Helen!" a sharp voice told her that they were near. She turned to face them, grinning.

"Hello, Nick." She greeted.

"What have you done with her?" Connor demanded, only kept from attacking her by Nick's firm hand on his shoulder.

"Who?" Helen pretended not to know who he was talking about.

"You know damn well who!" Cutter said through gritted teeth.

"No, I don't." Helen lied.

"Abby." Connor growled.

"Sorry- can't help you." She shrugged and turned round again, beginning to walk off.

"What have you done?" Connor shouted, and Helen looked back to see him wrestling against Nick's grasp, trying to get free and attack Helen.

"We know you've got her Helen!" Jenny put in, "Abby said so in her letter."

"Letter?" Helen asked.

"Saying where she was going and why and, most importantly, who with." Jenny said.

"Oh, don't worry." Helen changed tact, "Your friend is fine. In fact, she's more than fine."

"Well, where is she?" Connor asked, finally wrenching himself free of Cutter's grasp, but standing stock still, ready to run after her if she tried to get away.

"She's with Stephen." Helen replied truthfully.

"You killed her!" Connor cried, a terrified expression taking over his face.

"No I didn't- Stephen's alive."

"So why aren't you with them if they're not in danger?" Cutter asked, clearly not believing a word she was saying.

"I'm giving them a chance to get properly re-acquainted." Helen smiled, remembering the way they had kissed earlier.

"Take us to them." Nick said.

"Nick…" Jenny started, but Nick put a hand up to stop her without breaking eye contact with Helen.

Helen sighed. She knew that she couldn't take Nick, Jenny and Connor to the same place as Abby- the plan just wouldn't work, but she could take them elsewhere.

"Fine." She said, a glint in her eye. She had the perfect place- instead of becoming prisoners in an anomaly; they would become prisoners in the very same cave that she and Abby had slept in the previous night. She began to lead the way and the three of them followed.

"Nick- this is crazy." Jenny whispered, taking his hand, "We can't follow her- it's a trap."

"Maybe." Nick agreed, "But it's our best shot at getting Abby back."

"I dunno Nick- I don't think we should get our hopes up." Jenny sighed.

"She's not dead, Jenny." Nick shook his head, "I don't know how I know- I just do."

Jenny didn't say anything, just nodded. Nick gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and a weak smile before they pressed on.

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"Abby." Someone called her name again. It was different to before, though. The first time it had been luring, she had wanted it- the voice had belonged to Stephen. Now it was harsh and cold, using the same monotone Helen often used when she didn't want to give anything away.

"Abby." It called again. She didn't want to follow it, but found that she was. The world around her was black, an intense black that made her think that there was something out there, even though somewhere in her subconscious, she knew it was a dream. Suddenly the symbol that had appeared in her dreams numerous times before floated past again . It was the white circle with the two horizontal lines, and, for some reason, it scared her.

"Abby." The voice became louder and more persuasive. Abby tried to push against whatever force was taking over her mind.

"Abby!" another voice, more urgent came into her head, "Abby!" suddenly she had been shaken awake, gasping.

"Connor." She whispered.

"No. It's Stephen." He replied. Abby looked up and memories of the previous day flooded back to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"Yeah." Abby nodded.

"You were shouting." Stephen told her.

"I always do that." Abby tossed his concern aside and pulled away from his hug, "Well, ever since you…" she trailed off, "Sorry." She added, "For waking you up and… well, everything."

"You mean that you called me Connor." Stephen said, though amusement tinted the edge of his voice.

"Yeah. He always used to wake me when I was having these dreams." Abby admitted, "I'd… I'd be yelling your name. And Connor was getting worried." She paused, deciding to tell him about the argument she and Connor had had, "We… we had an argument. Connor thought I was crazy- he thought I shouldn't come to the anomaly site because of the dreams I had. Occasionally, when I woke from having dreams about you I'd say something that made him think I was losing my mind. We yelled at each other a lot. I didn't leave him on speaking terms."

"I'm sorry." Stephen said, not knowing what else to say. He put an arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her back to lie down. Abby sighed and snuggled into him.

"Do…" Stephen paused, "Do you miss him?"

"Who?" Abby looked at him, "Connor? A bit." She admitted, "But I'd rather be here with you."

"Even if you'll never see him again?"

"I will." Abby said. Stephen didn't reply. He had a hunch, that he hoped to God was wrong, but he had a hunch that Helen had no intention of taking either of them home.

Abby rolled onto her side and rested her head on his bare chest. He snaked his arm further round her and pulled her close, now that he had her he never wanted to let her go.

"I love you." Abby whispered suddenly, clasping his waist with one hand, "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He whispered back, holding her close.

"Stephen?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared," Abby said in a small voice.

"What of?" Stephen rolled onto his side as well so that he could see her face.

"Being separated." Abby admitted.

"We won't be." Stephen said, "I won't let it happen."

"Please don't. I don't think I can live without you- not again." She whispered. Stephen didn't know what to say in return so he pulled her closer, as close as she could go, and held her.

"I'll never leave you." He promised, "I'll never let you go."

"Do you promise?" Abby asked, although she knew that there was no way he could promise such a thing.

"Yes." Stephen said, "I promise you Abby, I will never leave you."

This seemed to satisfy Abby, although both of them knew that it couldn't be promised. She smiled up at Stephen and simply said, "Thank you."

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Helen, Nick, Jenny and Connor arrived at the cave a lot quicker than she and Abby had got there the previous day and night was beginning to fall. Helen knew that this meant that the sun would be rising in just a few hours where Stephen and Abby were and she had to be there, before "he" was, at least…

"They're in there?" Connor raised an eyebrow at Helen.

"No." Helen said truthfully, "But they're too far away to travel there by foot by nightfall."

"We'll travel overnight then," Nick looked at her.

"No, Nick. You must rest, or you'll never make it." Helen lied, "Well, "she glanced at Jenny, who glared at her, "She won't."

Cutter looked over at Jenny, his eyes softening as he met hers. He nodded and looked back at Helen, "Fine. We'll rest. But as soon as the sun rises, we'll be leaving." He gave in.

"Good." Helen smiled wryly.

"But…" Connor turned his eyes on Nick, "But what about Abby?"

"Oh, she'll be more than okay for another night." Helen laughed, "She's fine, more then fine."

"Promise?" Connor looked doubtful

"I promise you, she's fine." Helen confirmed.

Connor seemed to believe this and reluctantly followed Nick and Jenny into the dark cave, where the three of them lay out their roll mats and sleeping bags and sat on their make-shift beds. Helen waited until they all seemed to be asleep before sloping off to find the right spot to open the anomaly. She decided that she probably wouldn't come back for them- she had the three of them right where she wanted them and, for now, they were trapped until they would become useful. If they became useful. Helen sighed, opened the anomaly, and slipped through unseen, before closing it again behind her.

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Abby awoke early the next morning, the glaring sun pressing down on her eyelids, even before she opened them. She smiled, feeling Stephen's warm body beside her. He still slept soundly with one arm tightly curled around her, protective. Trying not to wake him, she turned slightly, so that her body was inclined towards his. He stirred, but didn't wake and Abby smiled again as she studied his face closely. She rested a hand on his shoulder and her head in the crook his arm made, breathing in his soft scent that she loved so much. She ran the hand she had put on his shoulder slowly down his bare arm and over the muscles until it reached his waist. She didn't move it from there for a while, her hand cradling his hip, her little finger fiddling with the band of his boxer shorts- the only item of clothing he was wearing. She smiled secretly to herself as she remembered the passion that they had shared the night before and she knew more then ever that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the man that lay beside her.

It was then that she heard Helen speak. Abby felt her body stiffen at the sound, and it was clear from the tone of the older woman's voice that she was talking to someone different.

"Yes, she's here!" she snapped, "What kind of an idiot do you take me for?" Abby heard a pause and then Helen spoke again: "She's with him now. Just over the crest of the dune. We, erm, we do have a slight problem."

At this point, Abby sat up- this was beginning to sound suspicious and Abby had a strange sense of foreboding in her gut.

"Well, she told her little friends where she was going and of course Nick and his little "gang" have decided to follow…" she was clearly interrupted by whoever she was talking to, "HARPER!" Helen exploded, "Let me finish." Another small pause, "Thank you. There are only three of them though Harper. I've led them to the cave in the Silurian and they'll stay there until I come and get them. I don't know if I'm going to go yet, but I've been thinking that they may have their uses, although you're not laying your hands on Nick."

Abby sat up, letting Stephen's arm slide off of her bare body although it didn't wake him. She reached for her clothes and pulled her top over her head, leaving her jeans for now, before creeping up the dune and peering over. Luckily, Helen's back was turned to her so she couldn't see the blonde watching her. Helen was listening to someone talk to her via a mobile phone and had stopped talking for a bit.

"No." She said into the phone, "Yes, he's there too. He's going to be difficult, that one."

"What's his name?" now that Abby was closer, she found that she could hear the man on the other end of the phone as well.

"Connor." Helen replied, "Yes. He's very insistent."

"But you've got the girl?" the man asked.

"Yes. And the plan will work as far as I can tell- they're besotted." Helen told him.

"I guess the other two could come in handy." The man contemplated, "Connor and Jenny. I'll think about that and get back to you." He said, and Abby felt her heart leap into her mouth. It was a trap. It must have been. Suddenly, Abby felt dizzy and sick- she hadn't only fallen for it herself, but she had dragged Nick, Connor and Jenny in as well. Forgetting the rest of Helen's conversation, Abby turned and ran back down the dune dropping on her knees at Stephen's side and shaking him awake.

"_Stephen!_" she hissed urgently as his eyes opened.

"What?" he knew immediately that something was wrong and sat up, running his hand through his hair.

"It's a trap- Stephen," she whispered.

"What?" his eyes widened.

"It's a trap." Abby repeated, "She bought me here as a trap. I've fallen into a trap and dragged Nick, Jenny and Connor along too."

"What makes you think that?" Stephen's stood, pulled on his jeans and threw a thin top over his head, leaving his jacket on the ground.

"I heard her…" Abby swallowed, as the tears began to spurt down her face, "She's on the phone now. And she said something about me and you and Nick, Jenny and Connor following. It's a trap, Stephen, oh my god. What the hell have I done?"

"You haven't done anything." Stephen said, pulling her into a hug and letting her cry into his shoulder.

"She promised…" Abby sobbed.

"What, exactly what, did she promise you Abby?" Stephen asked, carefully choosing his words.

"She… she promised that I could see you again." Abby whispered, and Stephen bit his lip.

"And you've seen me." He said. Abby nodded into his shoulder and he sighed, "Do you know how to get back? Did you walk the whole way."

"Yes," Abby nodded, but then something came back to her and she remembered Helen's fist landing on her temple and she gulped, "No. Helen knocked me out and carried me part of the way." She whispered, remembering.

"So you don't really know the way back?" Stephen checked, resting his chin on her head.

"No." Abby said quietly and Stephen stroked her hair.

"Don't worry," he murmured gently beginning to stroke her hair, "We'll be okay."

"Oh, you're up." Helen said coming over the dune. Abby jumped and looked up at the older woman.

"Can we go back today?" Abby asked, though she had a feeling that she knew what the answer would be.

"Well… you see, this thing's come up…" Helen lied awkwardly.

"You're not going to, are you?" Stephen raised his eyebrows at her and crushed Abby's body closer to his, "You never will and you never were going to take us. It was a trap, wasn't it?"

"It wasn't a trap…" Helen started, but Stephen interrupted her again.

"Don't give me that crap!" he said, raising his voice, "It always has been a trap and you never intended to take Abby back at all!"

"I did… to start with…" Helen said.

"So you're not going to?" Stephen asked, "You admit it? You're gonna leave us here to die?"

"No." Helen answered, "To both questions, Stephen. And I'm sorry, but it's not my fault she was a gullible fool."

"Shut up!" he yelled, "You leave Abby out of this! It has nothing to do with her!" suddenly his voice became pleading and desperate, "Please, Helen, I don't care what you do with me. Leave me here to die, murder me yourself, whatever, just, please, take her back."

"No!" Abby protested, "No! I want to stay with you."

"You see, Stephen, when you were up for grabs, she knew just what she was risking, but it was too tempting." Helen grinned, knowing that Abby would refuse to be parted from Stephen. He felt Abby tense in his arms and glared at Helen.

"So what are you going to do with us, then?" he asked.

"I have a friend who has… plans." Helen revealed.

"What sort of plans?"

"Oh, you'll see."

"What have you done with Connor?" Abby spoke up.

"Connor's fine. So is Jenny and so is Nick." Helen told her.

"Where are they?" Abby pulled out of Stephen's grasp and walked over to Helen's side.

"Well, they followed you." Helen glared at the younger woman, "Because somebody broke their promise. Somebody _told_ them where she was going."

"I couldn't just leave them!" Abby cried.

"You still broke your promise." Helen stated.

"So?" Abby continued to glare at her as she bent down to whisper in her ear.

"I could still break mine." She murmured. Suddenly the realisation of what she was saying hit Abby and she spun round, but all she could see was vast desert. Stephen was gone.

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Thanks for all reviews, please, please continue to review! I love to hear what you are thinking!!! I've revealed the "man's" name now, so I think that you guys should probably know who he is, if you're an avid primeval watcher, anyway, like me. Thanks again, please review.


	11. Guinea Pigs

**Author's Note-** Thank you so much to all reviewers!! I know I keep saying this, but I really, really mean it! So, Harper, we really find out who he is and what he wants now!

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"What have you done?" Abby screamed, spinning round to see Helen, "Where is he?"

Helen just smiled.

"Where is he?" Abby repeated hysterically.

When Helen didn't reply, Abby scrambled desperately up the dune in hope that he was on the other side, but there were no life forms as far as she could see.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Abby yelled again, turning and running back down towards Helen, where she forced a hand to Helen's neck, threatening to tighten her hold.

"Calm down." Helen sighed calmly, considering that Abby's hold on her neck was becoming increasingly tighter.

"Not until you tell me where he is." Abby growled.

"I don't take orders from you, Abby." Helen said, "Let go of me now and I won't have to hurt you."

"You've already hurt me." Abby told her, "And, believe me, I'm not going to hesitate in fatally injuring you."

"You wouldn't do that- I'm the only one that knows where Stephen is and how to get back." Helen pointed out, "Killing me would be practically committing suicide." She smiled as she felt Abby's grip become loose, "Good. Now let go of me completely." Helen ordered.

Abby reluctantly let go of Helen, silent tears sliding over her cheeks. She had lost him _again._ How could she have been so stupid? Now only Helen knew where he was and, as much as Abby wanted to kill her, she knew that she couldn't. However, what Abby didn't know was that Helen couldn't kill her either. Not yet.

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Lyle fidgeted uncomfortably outside James Lester's office.

"Enter!" Lester called, and Lyle took a deep breath before going into the office.

"News?" James enquired as soon as the man had set foot in the room.

"No. The anomaly hasn't re-opened, and no new ones have appeared."

"I guess that's something." Lester sighed, "But what the hell are we going to do when one does open?"

"Well, we could find some new people to cover for Cutter and his team whilst…" Lyle suggested.

"And tell me, Lyle, where on earth are we going to find another estranged scientist who is willing to risk his life to investigate these anomalies? Where, are we going to get this new team?" Lester sounded irritated.

"I… I don't know, Sir."

"Exactly!" Lester stood up, "You don't know, I don't know. Lord help us, _nobody_ knows!"

"So we need Cutter and the others back?"

"Yes, Lyle, you're finally getting it, but how do we do that?"

"I don't know, Sir."

"Are there any other solutions?"

"Not that I can think of, no Sir."

"Well," Lester hesitated, unsure of what to do, "Think some more! If an anomaly opens, Lyle, you and your military are our back-up team."

"Yes, Sir." Lyle nodded and left the office at Lester's dismissive wave of the hand.

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Stephen fought against the strong arms that dragged him backwards through an anomaly, desperately trying to get rid of the hands over his mouth. He bit them and tried to hit them, but the men were strong and held fast, until they were through the anomaly where they threw him down on the hard, unforgiving ground. Stephen scrambled to his feet, but, before he was even stood, the anomaly had gone. And so had Abby.

"Mr Hart." A man's voice said, "How nice of you to join us."

Stephen spun round to come face-to-face with a man with greasy, black hair and a weak build. He wore the triumphant grin that he had seen so often on Helen, "Who are you?" he asked.

"My name's Mick Harper." He said, "I was a journalist. I am now supposedly dead."

Stephen raised an eyebrow to say that he didn't have a clue what Mick Harper was going on about.

"When your team member- Jenny Lewis- talked to me at an anomaly site, I was intrigued. I saw the glittering shards of light…"

"The anomaly." Stephen nodded, only to be met by a glare from Mick.

"Yes, I was about to say that." He said, "Anyway, I saw the anomaly, and made it my life's mission to find out about your little gang and the shards of light that floated in the sky. So I did. I did as much research as I could. It's surprising how often internet rumours from geeky conspiracy freaks are correct.

"Then I saw Helen go through an anomaly, surprised to find that she was involved with a third party that knew about the anomalies. By now, I knew a fair bit and decided to follow her. I followed her for ages, keeping my distance, and she didn't spot me. Her route led her to another anomaly, which I also followed her through. This one led to the future. Here, she found this." Mick held out the detector and Stephen took it from him, a confused look on his face, "It opens and closes anomalies. And she found some cloning machinery. This, however, was not as easy to get hold of, as it was still top-secret and being worked on, so Helen stole it. She was caught, and held prisoner until her official sentence was revealed. I had been staying away, but following her process, and I was intrigued, both by the equipment that she had stolen and the trouble she had got herself into. The equipment was beyond anything I'd ever seen or heard before and I wanted it. It gave the owner of it such _power_ I needed it.

"Then the jury revealed its final verdict: Helen Cutter was to be killed. I didn't care much for the woman, but she was my only way out and I cared a lot for the equipment that she had. It could bring back the dead- of course I wanted it! So I rescued her. I went down to the prisons and to her cell. I told her to hand over the equipment or I'd leave her, but she refused, thinking that I'd free her whether I had the machine or not. I left her for a whole day- she was another day closer to her fate, and that made her believe me when I made her the same offer again. She agreed to give it to me and I set her free- easier said than done. Eventually we got away, and Helen tried to steal the machine. It didn't work- she underestimated me. I caught her and dragged her back to here, where we had set up base. I told her if she tried to run again, I'd turn her into the police from the future. She's kept her word to this day, especially as she knows I've put trackers on her.

"Then we got to work on the cloning. We cloned mice and it worked. I couldn't believe it. Then we became more ambitious and wanted to try something else. Helen had said she'd get someone, but she still hadn't. I threatened her so she set up a plan. We wanted to bring someone back from the dead, but we didn't know anyone who had recently died that we wanted to bring back. So we set you up. Killed you using a long elaborate scheme, and bought you back to life. But that was the bit that the scientists from the future had had problems with. You came back, but were unconscious, so you didn't know about the machine blowing up. Helen panicked and pressed the button on the detector that opens anomalies in a hurry. Of course, there are specific places where you have to be to open an anomaly because otherwise you just create a rift that may possibly cave in on itself, causing a black hole that would suck in each and every world, parallel and likewise, one by one. We were lucky. It created a large open desert with no creatures, no people, no civilisation, no nothing and it served as the perfect jail." At this Mick sneered at Stephen, "So we dragged you there and left you there for a bit. We plotted the co-ordinates of the place where to open the "jail anomaly", as we liked to call it, on the detector before checking out the machine. The cloning system had broken, though we could see that it could be fixed. What interested us, was the static it had produced when we bought you back. We thought that, if only we had someone else, we could try it again and experiment. Kill them, and bring them back. Of course, there was no guarantee that they'd be able to get back alive, so neither Helen nor I wanted to go. We knew that we needed someone else, preferably a female so that we could experiment with different genes, different chromosomes, a different body form to your own."

"So you bribed Abby here?" Stephen voice was thick with disgust.

"Kind of. She clearly has deep, deep feelings for you, so we wanted to, not just experiment, but see what may happen if she was cloned or something- would her emotions still be the same? What if there was a child? There were so many different opportunities, so we bribed her here, to you. Then Abby's other little friends followed her, so we decided that we may as well use them as well- you can never experiment too much. As soon as Abby's friends have seen that she's okay, she will be killed."

"No." Stephen whispered, feeling as though he had been winded.

"Yes. We will bring her back to life, if that's possible, but I don't think you'll see her again. You see, we're not sure whether she will have the same emotions and memories as she did before, so she may not want to see you anymore. Besides, I don't think she's too bad, myself, so I'd quite like her back too. By the time we've bought her back to life, I'm sure a little brainwashing won't go a-miss. I can't have you two together after that- you may be too much of an attraction to her."

"You're sick." Stephen growled through gritted teeth.

Mick simply laughed, "Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."

"Do you mean to tell me that we are guinea pigs in your sick experiment?" Stephen asked, livid.

"I guess you could say that." Harper shrugged, and there was a pause, as Stephen waited for him to say something more and Mick, likewise. The silence was broken by Mick Harper's phone ringing. He glanced at the caller ID, although he knew that there was only one person that it could be, and glanced at Stephen before answering it, "Helen."

"Harper." Helen responded, "Have you told him?"

"Yes, he knows. He doesn't like, but he knows." Mick grinned spitefully.

"And he knows he's never going to see her again?"

"I think he got that bit, yes."

"And you're still alive?" Helen sounded genuinely surprised.

"Yes. Listen Helen, are you…?"

"Yes, I'm going, I'm going!" Helen snapped.

"Good, good." Harper said thoughtfully, "And the girl?"

"Oh, I've left her crying her eyes out. She doesn't know, though. I've told her nothing."

"You haven't told her?" Mick checked, but continued without waiting for a reply, "I guess that could be for the best if she's going to die."

"I don't think the machine will work, Harper," Helen sighed.

"Of course it will!"

"I don't know. I think it will blow up if we use it again. We won't be able to get her back, you know."

"So?"

"Don't you feel just a bit guilty?" Helen said, sounding the most humane then she had in years, "We can't just kill an innocent girl as an experiment."

"You're going soft Helen," Harper remarked, ignoring Stephen's glare, "Just fetch the others and then we can tell them the plan of action. And then there's the other thing…" he trailed off glancing at Stephen.

"You haven't told him about that as well, have you?" Helen sounded suddenly panicked.

"Of course not!" Harper said, "No. Are we going to tell Nick?"

"Maybe." Helen said slowly, "Maybe. We'll see. I'm nearly there now, Harper, I'm going to go."

"Okay. I'll watch over Stephen. Miss Maitland won't move, will she?" he checked.

"No." Helen assured him, "You know as well as I do that there's no way out of the jail anomaly."

"True. Goodbye." Mick said, and then he hung up.

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Connor looked out of the cave into the gloom and darkness of the night, waiting for Helen to return. He hadn't slept- he couldn't. He looked round to the inside of the cave. It took just a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light, as it was barely darker than the desert plane that he had been watching over for the past few hours. He could see Nick and Jenny sleeping soundly, huddled together, Jenny's head resting on Nick's chest. Connor smiled weakly- at least _someone_ was happy. He just wished that that someone was him. He sighed and turned his head back to the mouth of the cave, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sight he saw.

"Helen!" he hissed.

"You should be asleep." She grumbled.

"I can't." Connor confessed, "Can we go?"

Helen's eyes cast over to Nick and Jenny's sleeping forms and she shook her head, "They're sleeping."

"They wouldn't mind!" Connor protested.

"Let them get some rest while they can." Helen said.

"What do you mean "while they can"?" Connor asked, suspicious.

"We don't mind." Nick's voice echoed around the cave as he sat up, "I can't sleep either."

"What about…?" Helen pointed at Jenny.

Nick gently placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her awake, "Jenny?"

"I'm up, I'm up." She mumbled, turning over in her sleep. Nick shook her more violently.

"Huh?" now she sat up.

"Are you ready to make a move?" Nick asked her, although it didn't look like she had much of a choice, with Connor already packed and standing ready to go.

"Yeah, yeah." Jenny nodded and looked up at Helen cautiously.

"Come on then." Helen urged, "Get up."

Helen knew that she couldn't knock out all three of them and that they'd just have to witness the opening of the anomaly, but if they asked, she would deny everything. She hoped that they'd all be too busy talking to Abby to notice her close it behind them. She sighed and watched as Nick and Jenny began to pack away their sleeping bags.

Ten minutes later, they were making their way through the darkness to the "jail anomaly".

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Abby sat on the hard ground, lightly pounding her fist on the floor next to her. The rough stones were grazing the side of her hand, bringing little droplets of blood to the surface until it stung, but Abby didn't care. Her tears had run dry, but that didn't stop little sob-like noises escaping from her mouth every few seconds. Her heart ached for him so much more than it had before- she had seen him, met him, talked to him, kissed him, even made love to him, and he had been snatched away from her so quickly. One minute he was there, the next, he was gone. And Abby was hurting so badly. Worse than she imagined she ever would or ever could.

Suddenly there was a noise like ripping metal and Abby turned, shocked, and saw an anomaly open up right in front of her. Hurriedly she scrambled to her feet, only to be disappointed when Helen strode through. She glared at the older woman and noticed that she wore a smile on her face. But it was a smile that Abby didn't trust.

"Abby!" Connor's unmistakeable voice cried. Abby's head snapped up and she saw Connor, Nick and Jenny come through the anomaly after Helen. Suddenly Connor flew at her and threw his arms round her, "Oh, god, Abby. We were so worried! Why did you do this to us?"

"Connor, it's a trap!" Abby told him.

"What?" Nick came to her side as well.

"It's a trap." Suddenly Abby could bear it no longer. She burst into tears yet again, although her head was beginning to ache.

"Abby?" Connor glanced worriedly at Nick, "Abby, what's wrong?"

"She… She's got him! She's taken him!" Abby sobbed.

"Who?" Jenny asked.

"Stephen." Abby whispered.

"Abby, Stephen's…" Nick hesitated.

"No, he's not Nick!" Abby interrupted him, "He was here, he was fine! But then she did something and he… he just vanished."

"Abby…" Cutter sighed sadly. He wanted to believe her, he really did, but he thought that Abby had clearly lost her mind.

"He was here, Nick, I'm not crazy." Abby said very seriously, as though she knew just what he had been thinking. She shrugged off the jacket she was wearing and handed it to him. He looked at her.

"It's his." Abby said, her voice catching in her throat as she remembered him being with her just a few hours ago. Nick inspected the jacket closely before looking at Helen in sheer disbelief.

"Where did you get this?" he asked her.

"I didn't," Helen replied, "Abby's telling the truth."

"He… he was here?" Connor studied her face for any tell-tale sign that it was a joke, but she turned her tear-filled eyes to him and he could only see the truth in Abby's eyes.

"Why did you come after me?" she asked him softly, "I asked you not to."

"I had to, Abby." He said, "We knew it had to be a trap- you can't bring people back from the dead."

"You can." Abby looked at the floor, "But it was a trap. I'm so sorry. I've dragged you all into this. Her plan's worked and I don't even know what it is."

"Actually, you're wrong." Helen spoke up, "Yes, it was a trap for you, but I never intended for the others to come along after you, because you _promised_ that you wouldn't tell them. Also, it's not _my _plan."

"Well, whose plan was it then?" Nick clearly didn't believe her.

"Mine." A voice spoke from behind them and the four of them turned to see Mick Harper grinning at them.

"You?" Jenny sounded shocked.

"Yes, me." Mick sounded impatient, but then he smiled at Jenny, "You're the one who first introduced me to all of this." He came closer to her and reached out to touch her.

"Back off." Nick snarled, moving in front of her.

"And who might you be?" Harper feigned ignorance for a moment, "Ah, yes! Professor Cutter! I've heard so much about you."

"Who are you?" Nick asked.

"My name is Mick Harper. I _was_ a journalist. I am now supposedly dead, but here I am, very much alive, just like your friend."

"Stephen!" Abby whimpered, "What have you done with him?"

"Oh, he's fine, really. You shouldn't worry yourself so much." He moved from in front of Jenny and Nick to Abby's side. Abby watched him with distaste, but then a glimpse of silver caught her eye.

"What's that?" she asked, looking at his chest where she had caught the glimpse.

"Nothing. Just a pendant." Mick said.

"Show me." Abby ordered. Harper raised an eyebrow at Helen.

"Now." Abby said.

"Of all the things she could ask…" Mick muttered, pulling on the string that was tied round his neck. When Abby saw the pendant, she felt sick and her head began to spin. That symbol… It was the one that she had seen in her dreams… It had been a sign- a sign of what was to come. She swayed on her feet for a bit, before it all became too much and she dropped to the floor, unconscious.

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Sorry I keep doing cliff hangers!!!

Thanks again to all reviewers! Please keep up the good work! (of reviewing) :)


	12. Proof

**A/N-** Sorry it's taken me so long to update this but I have had coursework and rehearsals for our school musical (Les Mis) up to my ears and have just had no time to check and edit this! Thanks so much for reading and please review!!!!

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Stephen had been thrown into a dark cell. This was obviously Helen and Harper's base- there was a big building with all of the facilities they'd need to be evil villains. The idea almost made Stephen laugh.

His mind, once again, wandered back to Abby. In fact, his mind refused to deviate from the blonde that he had loved and lost, twice. Although Harper had told him that he'd never see her again, he couldn't help but hope. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her pretty face smiling up at him, her sea-blue eyes boring into his own, her slender body lying next to his... and it hurt. He knew that he loved her deeper than love went. He loved her so much that it hurt whenever she wasn't near. It hurt now, more than ever, knowing that very shortly that man would be with her, talking to her and being nice to her, just before murdering her. The very idea made him shake with rage. Then there was the other bit- the bit that when she was bought back to life, he'd have her. He'd be with her, he'd steal her kiss that he didn't deserve, he's claim her body as his own, he'd get closer to her than he ever had… "Jealousy is a terrible trait in a man, but it is also a very endearing one" Stephen remembered his mother telling him and his heart ached. Jealousy didn't even cover it- he wanted to take Harper and clone him with his stupid machine and then slit his neck over and over and over again. And then he'd smash the machine so that there was no hope in hell that he could ever return.

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The same dream from days ago came back to Abby as she lay unconscious on the floor: the whiteness, the darkness, the door and the hushed voices, the symbol, the symbol.

"Abby!" Connor managed to shake her awake, choking and spluttering.

"It's the symbol!" she cried.

"What?" Jenny asked.

"His necklace. I had a dream and that was in it… it was more than just a symbol! It was a sign, a warning…" Abby babbled.

"It's not a necklace, it's a pendant." Mick Harper's cold voice corrected her icily.

"Where's Stephen?" Abby asked again, "Please. You can't do this!"

"I think you'll find that I can." Harper grinned. Nick looked at his smug face and suddenly, he had an idea.

"You never bought him back did you?" he asked.

"Yes, I did." Mick glared at him.

"No, you didn't. It's a lie- as if _you_ could handle that sort of technology." Cutter mocked.

"Cutter, he was here." Abby insisted. Nick ignored her.

"I can handle that technology." Harper argued, also ignoring Abby's comment.

Helen watched Nick's face. She knew what he was doing, but she didn't try to stop him.

"As _if_!" Cutter laughed, "You never bought Stephen back and you don't have any proof."

"The jacket…" Mick started.

"That Helen could easily have taken from his flat." Cutter pointed out, "That's pretty poor proof so I don't believe you."

Abby, Jenny and Connor all stayed silent, Abby finally realising his plan. A smile was beginning to form on Helen's face as she saw that Mick Harper was falling for it.

"I do so have proof!" Harper argued, "You're just not allowed to see it."

"You mean this "proof" doesn't exist?" Cutter stated.

"I can prove it!"

"Go on then." Nick urged. Mick remained silent, as though contemplating it. Eventually he gave in.

"Fine." He said.

Nick shot a triumphant grin at Jenny, Abby and Connor.

Mick Harper dug around in his pocket and pulled out his own future detector exactly the same as Helen's and pressed a button on it. Nick watched over his shoulder, taking note of the buttons he pressed and the co-ordinates shown on the screen. Connor gaped as the anomaly burst open and he, Abby, Nick, Jenny and Helen followed Harper through.

The other side of the anomaly was in darkness, so they presumed that it was night and they tried to take in as much of their surroundings as the light would allow. They came to a big building that was black and shrouded in darkness, but an artificial light met them as Harper unlocked the door and opened it. They followed him through numerous corridors and past numerous doors. All of these doors didn't have windows in so they couldn't see through to the other side until they came to a door that had six padlocks. Mick fumbled with his keys and slowly unlocked all six. The door opened onto a flight of concrete stairs down into a cold basement.

"Go on then." Harper pointed down the stairwell and stood back so that Cutter could go down first. Nick nodded and started down the stairs followed by Abby. At the bottom of the flight, he stood aside so that she could go first. She nodded her thanks at him and flew down the corridor until she came to the only occupied cell.

"Abby!" Stephen saw her first, "You're okay!"

Abby dropped to her knees in front of him and took his hands which were reaching through the bars, "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Stephen nodded, "I thought I was never going to see you again."

"Well, you thought wrong." Abby said before pressing her lips onto his. The bars pressed on their faces and prevented them from getting any closer to each other, but they didn't care.

Abby pulled away when the distant footsteps stopped and looked up at Nick. Stephen looked up at him as well.

"Nick." He greeted, a little apprehensive of what his best friend would say.

"Stephen, you prat," Nick grinned and Stephen's mouth stretched into a smile as well.

"Oh my God." Connor said.

"Hi Connor." Stephen responded, laughing.

"Okay, okay." Harper interrupted, "Is that enough proof for you?"

"I don't know… It might be an illusion…" Nick teased.

"Oh, come on! Abby was bloody snogging him a minute ago!" Mick protested.

"You do realise that your plan is going to be a whole lot harder now?" Helen muttered, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Nick, Jenny, Abby and Connor looked at them in confusion, but Stephen's face was a perfect display of horror.

"No, it's not." Harper replied, not bothering to hush his voice, "I was going to shut the other three up in one of these cells anyway and the girl will come, even if we have to drag her away kicking and screaming."

"Leave her alone!" Stephen hissed his voice laced with disgust.

Mick laughed and Stephen's hold on her hand became tighter. Suddenly, Abby was very scared. Stephen clearly knew what was going on, and he knew that it involved her.

"What are they going to do?" she asked him.

"I don't know." He lied, not wanting to tell her.

"Yes you do." Abby whispered.

"I… I can't tell you." Stephen shook his head.

"Seize them!" Harper's voice ordered and Nick, Jenny, Connor and Abby felt hands grabbing their shoulders. Nick, Jenny and Connor were dragged into Stephen's cell and Abby was held in place.

"Take her away." Mick told the guard with Abby.

"No!" Stephen gripped her hand as hard as he could.

"Don't let them take me!" Abby whispered as she fought against the hold that the guard had.

"I'm trying." Stephen pulled her and Abby winced as her body was stretched between him and the guard.

"You promised you'd never leave me." She whispered.

Stephen looked into her eyes as they began to water. Then his grip was lost and the guards that had seized Nick, Jenny and Connor were pulling her away as well.

"No!" she screamed, "Stephen!"

"Abby!" he yelled. Stephen caught her eyes one last time, and saw the pain in them, the fear and the desperation to be free, but then they were gone.

"NO!" he yelled, banging the bar with his fist. Then there was a very long pause. Stephen rested his head against the bars and closed his eyes, wanting to see her smiling face again. But when he shut his eyes, all he could see were her eyes as she was being dragged out. No longer were they cheerful and glittering, they were terrified and painful and desperate.

"Stephen?" Nick broke the silence, "What's going on?"

"They've taken her." Stephen muttered.

"Where have they taken her?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know,"

"But you do know what they're going to do with her?" Nick questioned.

Stephen nodded.

"What are they going to do?" Connor worried.

"They're… they're going to kill her." Stephen said, then he turned to face them, his own face determined.

"Connor," he said, "What are the chances of breaking out of here?"

"Umm… well, they got the detectors from the future so, chances are, that they got these bars from the future too, so I'd say that the chances of getting out are…" Connor summarised then paused in thought for a bit, "Damn near impossible."

"There's got to be a chance!" Stephen sighed, dismayed.

"Well, there may be, but I don't really know." Connor said.

"Well, Helen got out, so I can too." Stephen said, his jaw set in determination.

"Helen what?" Nick asked.

"Tell you later." Stephen muttered walking back to the edge of the cell and beginning to shake each bar to find a lose one. The others didn't need prompting to help.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Abby writhed and kicked in the guards' arms, but it was no use. Eventually her strength evaded her and she gave up, letting them carry her away as tears, once again, slid over her face. They carried her through numerous corridors, similar to the ones that they had come through, but Abby didn't pay much attention to where they were going. Finally, they went through a steel door where the guards stopped and flung Abby to the floor, at Mick Harper's feet. He clapped sarcastically.

"What a fight." His tone matched the sarcasm in his clapping.

"What do you want with me?" Abby sighed, too tired to demand anything else.

"You mean your boyfriend didn't tell you?" Harper feigned surprise.

"No. He wasn't allowed."

"Actually, he never said that." Harper told her, "He said "I can't." Does that sound like "I'm not allowed" to you?"

"Why else can't he?"

"He literally can't- it's too painful for him." Mick said, "He doesn't want to be the one to tell you that you're going to die. He doesn't want to be the one to tell you that you'll never see him again. He doesn't want to tell you that you're going to be killed, cloned, brainwashed, experimented with, whatever. He _literally _can't."

"And that's what you're going to do with me?" Abby asked calmly.

"Clever girl!" Mick smiled, "And you're okay with that? You're not going to try to run away?"

"No."

"Oh. I'm rather surprised, and disappointed. I was having fun watching you attempt to fight our guards' strength. I had the sedatives ready in my hand." he said.

"No." Abby repeated, "If I try to run, you'll catch me, whatever I do, it's not going to save my life, it's just going to make things worse. I'm never going to see Stephen again, so I don't give a shit what you do to me now. Just do it."

"Maybe I underestimated your intelligence." Harper began to circle her, "Are you clever enough to realise this? Or just madly in love? My bet is on both."

"Just do it, Harper." Abby repeated.

"Is that all?" Mick now sounded genuinely disappointed, "You're not going to say that I'm in despicable or evil or _something_?"

"No." Abby sighed, "But there is one thing."

"Go on."

"When you've murdered me, what are you going to do with Stephen?"

"Oh, I don't know." Harper threw his hands up, "Are you not panicking about how we're going to kill you and stuff?"

"No. I just want to know what, if anything, you're going to do with him." Abby said.

"Well, I wasn't really planning that much- he was more of the bribe to get you here than someone we actually need." Mick said truthfully.

"Fine. Well, in that case, when you've killed me, can you let him and the others go?" Abby asked.

"Ummm..."

"Please?" Abby begged.

"I'm sure we can sort something out." He turned his back on Abby so she couldn't see his smile. He could possibly let the geek go, but that would be it. He had a special surprise for Nick and Jenny. As for Stephen, well, he'd be let out of the cell to see her mangled body, he was sure.

"Thanks." Abby said, then got to her feet, only to be pushed back down again by the guards.

"You're welcome." Harper grinned.

"Aren't you going to do it, then?" Abby asked.

"Do what?"

"Kill me."

"I guess we could get started, but there's something else I have to do first. I was anticipating this to take a while and a lot of explaining, but you clearly want to ruin my schedule, so I'll go and do this first and you can… sleep." Mick shrugged, before looking pointedly at his guards. One nodded and whacked Abby round the back of her head with his gun.

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Stephen shook his head.

"No." He said, "No. There is a way, there's got to be."

"Stephen, I don't think there is." Nick said gently, "You've checked every bar in this bloody cell three times or more. Just leave it, yeah?"

"I'm not giving up, Nick!" Stephen cried, "There is a way out of here somewhere! There's always a chance!"

"Stephen…" Nick started.

"No!" the younger man interrupted him, "I'm not leaving her to die, Cutter. I've at least got to try."

"I'll help." Connor volunteered.

"Help what?" a cold voice interrupted and Mick Harper emerged from the dark shadows. Stephen had no idea how much he'd heard, but he knew that the man's very presence made his blood run cold.

"What have you done with her?" he demanded.

"She's okay." Mick paused, "For now. In fact, she's very calm about dying. She didn't try to run, or anything. Not now she knows that she'll never see you again."

"What do you want, Harper?" Nick sighed, joining his friend at the bars.

"I have something to show you." He replied directly to Nick.

"Don't you think you've caused enough trouble?" Cutter asked stonily.

"This isn't so troublesome." Mick said, "I'm actually doing you a favour Professor Cutter."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Stephen got his girl, sort of, so why can't you have yours?" Harper grinned, before digging in his pocket and bringing out the keys, "You can all come, but don't bother trying to escape- there's no way out of here. The corridor just leads to a thick steel door which you'll never penetrate."

"Where are you taking us?" Jenny asked nervously.

Mick looked at her, almost inspected her, "You're going to meet someone, Jennifer Lewis, that I can guarantee you never will have met before. This way." He led them down the corridor to a thick, locked steel door and unlocked it, "After you, Professor."

Nick looked at him suspiciously, but, as the saying went, curiosity killed the cat and he went in. It was very, very dark in there and he couldn't see anything until a light flickered on at the far end of the room. When it emitted a dim light, he could see the person huddled in a ball at the end of the room.

His mouth dropped open as he looked at the woman. Her auburn hair shone brightly in the dim light although she had her back turned to them. He looked back at the others. Connor and Stephen looked plain confused, Jenny was staring at the woman's back in a trance and Mick Harper had such a smug smile on his face that Nick wanted to punch into his stupid little head, but now wasn't the time to get into a fight. He turned his head back on the woman's huddled form and began to move towards her. She heard the footsteps and turned her head to face him. When she saw him, her expression mirrored his own, before breaking into a relieved smile. Nick grinned back. It was her. It was Claudia Brown.

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Ooh! The plot thickens! I'd love to hear what you think! And who would you choose? Claudia or Jenny? Please review- I am very ill and would appreciate it... That's not just an excuse I actually am ill :) Please?


	13. Choices and Chances

I promise I will do personal thanks to all reviewers at the end, which, unfortunately, is nearing unless I have some sudden inspiration! I cannot say how thankful I am to you for sticking with this! I am so glad that you have taken the time to read it. Please review for this chapter and you will definitely be included in the thanks for reviews! Constructive criticism welcome as I learn from my mistakes!

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"Nick!" Claudia cried, jumping to her feet and rushing over. Connor glanced at Stephen to check that he wasn't the only one who didn't have a clue what was going on. Stephen returned his glance and furrowed his brow, before looking round the room for an exit.

"Claudia." Nick greeted, though not as enthusiastically as Claudia. He glanced at Jenny, whose face was heartbroken.

"I thought you'd never come!" Claudia sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"I… I didn't know…" Nick trailed off.

"Difficult isn't it?" Mick drawled.

"Back off." Claudia snarled, just as Jenny had in the "jail anomaly".

"I'm not doing anything." Harper protested, though he had a gleam in his eye, "It's so disappointing to realise that the man you thought loved you was actually in love with someone else."

"What?" Claudia looked up only to see that Nick wasn't looking at her. She gulped and followed his line of sight to see who he was staring at. Her eyes widened in shock. It was like looking in a mirror, but she knew that it was another person as she didn't move, didn't look up.

"Awkward." Mick sang under his breath, his voice shining with entertainment.

"Excuse me." Nick muttered to Claudia, releasing her. He walked over to Jenny's side and rested a hand on her shoulder. She jumped as though he had burnt her.

"Get off me." She spat.

"Jenny…" Nick started, wondering how she could suddenly be so hostile- she had known about Claudia hadn't she?

"`She was more like you than you could ever imagine…"" Jenny quoted, her voice laced with disgust.

"Who are you?" Claudia whispered, in amazement.

"Jenny Lewis." Jenny replied, "No need to ask you the same question, Claudia." She said her name slowly and bitterly, as though the word had an unpleasant taste.

"Well?" Mick asked expectantly, "Aren't you going to thank me?"

"You… evil…" Nick growled, not sure what to say after that as he couldn't think of a bad enough word. Mick laughed.

"Helen said you loved one of them. She didn't say which one- she didn't know." Harper said, "Now we'll find out. Choose. Choose one. Claudia Brown? Or Jenny Lewis?"

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Stephen looked at Connor. He couldn't believe that it had worked.

"Where do we go now?" Connor asked impatiently.

"Umm…" Stephen looked one way down the corridor and then back the other way, "Well… we have a 50/ 50 chance so… I don't know." He continued to look from one way to the other, mulling it over. One way possibly saved Abby's life, one killed her. But which was which?

"This way." He decided, turning to his right. They had only walked about six paces when a voice echoed off of the walls.

"Going somewhere are we?" Stephen froze, before slowly turning to face her.

"Oh, dear." Helen raised her eyebrows, "You've been caught. Well, I could turn you in… Or…" Stephen looked up hopefully, "I could tell you that you are going in the completely wrong direction and that you wouldn't get anywhere without the keys." She held up a bunch of keys and grinned.

"Why should we trust you?" Stephen asked.

"I don't know. I guess that's up to you." Helen shrugged, "You could go in the wrong direction without the keys… Or you could come with me."

Connor and Stephen looked at each other.

"You know where she is?" Stephen looked back at Helen.

"Yes."

"And you'll take us there?"

"Yes."

"And it's not a trap?"

"No."

"Well, we don't have much of a choice." Stephen said and Connor nodded. Helen turned and began to walk in the opposite direction and they followed her.

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"Well?" Mick asked expectantly. Nick shook his head.

"It's no fun if you don't choose." Harper grinned.

"I won't. I _can't._" Cutter refused. Jenny looked at the floor and Claudia kept her eyes firmly on Nick. Suddenly, he realised that Stephen and Connor had sloped off.

"Oh, _come on_!" Mick cried, "Just choose one!"

"Why?" Nick asked icily.

"Because, I think you know as well as I do that two of the same set of genetics can't live in the same dimensions. So, when you go home, you can only take one with you." Harper told him, the grin not moving from his smug face.

"I'll die before I choose." Nick hissed.

"I'll make this easy for you." Jenny sighed, "Take her."

"What?" Cutter looked at Jenny.

"Choose Claudia, Nick." Jenny repeated, "You loved her long before you met me and then you hated me just because I looked like her. You keep a photo of her in your wallet, for crying out loud!"

"I have other photos in my wallet, you know!" Nick admitted quietly.

"Just do it, Cutter." Jenny whispered, "Just choose her. Just say it."

"I can't Jenny." Nick spoke softly.

"Are you going to do as she says?" Harper asked, "Or are you going to go against her words? Or are you just going to go for the better kisser and be done with it?"

"You don't notice very much do you, Harper?" Nick raised his eyebrows. He thought that Connor and Stephen had had long enough to get far enough away.

"What do you mean?" Mick now looked suspicious.

"Take a look. How many people came into the room? How many remain?" Cutter said, smiling as Mick looked round furiously then growled in annoyance.

"I'm not done with you Cutter!" he roared as he stormed out of the room, locking them in.

"Why did you do that?" Jenny demanded.

"They've had long enough to get away." Nick pointed out.

"I still can't believe he's okay." Jenny sighed, sitting down on the cold, concrete floor.

"Me either." Cutter admitted.

"Who?" Claudia looked very confused.

"Stephen," Jenny replied.

"He died." Nick added, "And now he's here. This is just weird."

"Do you think he'll ever let them out?" Jenny asked as Nick took a seat a few feet away from her.

"Abby and Stephen?" Cutter checked.

"Mmm." Jenny nodded.

"I hope so. I never realised how they really felt." Cutter sighed.

"How could you not notice that?" Claudia sat down too.

"Well, they barely spoke after Helen said about the affair…" Nick said.

"What?" Claudia gasped, "What affair?"

"Helen and Stephen." Nick told her.

"I've missed too much, haven't I?" Claudia smiled sadly, "How long was I gone for?"

"About six months. Maybe more." Cutter said, pretending that the day that she had disappeared hadn't been imprinted on his memory.

"What about Lester?"

"He doesn't know who you are." Nick looked up at her, "I'm sorry, Claudia, but only Helen and I knew that you had gone. When we came back through the Permian anomaly, you were gone and the others had no re-collection of you at all. They thought that I was crazy."

"And Ryan? Captain Ryan?" Claudia asked.

"He… he died in the Permian." Cutter told her gently.

"Who did?" Jenny spoke up.

"No one, Jen." Nick sounded distant, "Well, no one you know."

There was an awkward silence.

"How did he die, Nick?" Claudia broke it.

"Well, he came into the Permian with us and a future predator kinda came out of nowhere…"

"No. Stephen."

"It's hard to explain."

"It was Helen's fault." Jenny stated bitterly.

"_Helen_ killed him?" Claudia asked in disbelief.

"No!" Cutter said, "No she didn't. He sacrificed himself for everyone. He was a hero."

"Where's Abby?" Claudia changed the subject. Nick and Jenny looked at each other.

"She's here." Nick finally answered, "Somewhere."

"And Stephen's gone to find her?"

"Yes. Stephen's gone to find her." Cutter sighed, closing the subject, "I just hope that he does find her before it's too late."

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Helen led them through numerous corridors, tossing the keys from hand to hand.

"Is she okay?" Stephen asked her.

"Probably." Helen answered.

"You mean you don't know?" Stephen looked at her in disbelief.

"Not really. Harper sorted that out." Helen sighed, "But I don't think he'd have killed her yet. He wants to do some other stuff first."

"What stuff?" Stephen asked.

"He's preoccupied with Nick and Claudia and Jenny." Helen said.

"Who's Claudia?" Connor spoke up.

"Just someone." Helen shrugged.

"Someone?" Stephen looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes." Helen said firmly, signalling that she was unwilling to talk about the matter any further. They came to a halt at the next door, "In here." She whispered.

"Abby's in there?" Connor asked.

"Yes. And so are two security guards, but I have a plan." Helen murmured. Stephen nodded and he and Connor leant in to listen.

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Claudia looked round the room that she had been held prisoner in for so long and sighed. The silence was unnerving. He she was in a jail cell with the man she loved and her double, who quite obviously shared her feelings. It was then that Claudia saw it. The gap. She stood up and walked over to it. She could feel Nick and Jenny's eyes on her as she inspected the gap between the door. Only someone who had tried to escape from the very same cell for about six months would have noticed it and decided that escape was possible because of the one tiny gap. She sighed, realising that she didn't have anything small enough that would be able to open the door.

"What?" Nick had heard her sigh.

"I don't suppose either of you have a safety pin or a paperclip?" she turned to face them. Both shook their heads and Claudia sighed again.

"But…" Jenny hesitated, "I do have a hair grip. Will that help?" she asked, pulling the grip free from her dark hair and shaking it lose.

"Yes!" Claudia took it from her, "That's perfect!" she grinned bending it straight.

"What are you doing?" Cutter asked her.

"This gap…" Claudia pointed to it, "Could be our key to escape."

"But that's tiny!" Jenny exclaimed.

"It's big enough." Claudia said and began picking at it with the straightened hair grip.

"It'll never work." Jenny muttered.

"Bit of faith, please." Claudia's forehead creased as she continued to pick at the gap. Finally there was a click and the door swung open, "Yes!" she grinned triumphantly.

"Good job." Nick said, impressed. Jenny scowled at the floor, but smiled at Claudia.

"Well done." She congratulated bitterly.

"Let's go find the others." Claudia said and led the way out of the room.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Jenny asked sceptically.

"No." Claudia admitted, "But we can just see where we go and we'll turn up somewhere."

"What if we get caught?"

"We won't, okay?" Claudia said.

"But what if we do?" Jenny wasn't taking no for an answer, but Claudia ignored her negative attitude.

"Right!" she said cheerfully, "Which way?"

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"Harper wants you." Helen went into the room and said to the guards, "Tell him I've got things sorted here."

"Will do, Madam," the guards replied and walked off through the double-doors that Helen had just come through. The sound of two thuds, one straight after the other, and the soldiers dropped to the floor unconscious. Connor bent down and listened to their breathing, to check they were still alive, but Stephen didn't hesitate and ran straight to Abby's side.

"Abby?" he asked her, as though she would open her eyes and look straight at him. He clasped her hand in his and held it tight.

Helen ran over to the monitor and scanned the screen. She furrowed her brow, before grabbing the mouse and clicking everywhere, trying to find out what they had done to her.

"Check if she's still alive." Helen ordered and Stephen paled as he rested two fingers over the inside of her wrist.

"I can't feel a pulse." He gulped, desperately pressing the index finger and middle finger of his right hand on the inside of her wrist.

"Try her neck." Helen suggested. Stephen nodded and placed the same two fingers on her neck.

"Nothing." He shook his head, worried.

"Breathing?"

"Is she…?" Connor came to Stephen's side as he bent over her head and listened to her breathing.

"She's breathing." Stephen breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's odd." Helen remarked.

"What is?" Connor asked.

"You usually stop breathing before your heart stops when you die." Helen replied, still tapping away at the computer.

"She's dying?" Connor looked up at Helen, who looked back at him sympathetically.

"I think so." She said gently.

"No. No she's not!" Stephen shook his head, "She can't be!"

"Stephen…" Helen started.

"She's not dying." Stephen shook his head again.

"Come and see the bloody statistics, Stephen!" Helen cried. Stephen looked up and went to Helen's side.

"Look. Her body's shut down already." She pointed to the screen, "You can't save her."

"That's very strange." Connor's brow furrowed.

"What is?" Helen asked, re-reading the data on the screen.

"Her body is shut down, but it's shut down in reverse… backwards…" Connor raised an eyebrow and inspected the data. Suddenly there was a beep and something began to jump up and down on the screen.

"What's that?" Stephen asked.

"That…" Helen paused, checking that the data was correct, "Is impossible. Stephen check her pulse again."

Stephen nodded and ran back over to Abby's body and felt her wrist again, "No." Stephen shook his head, "No, it's…" suddenly his eyes widened, "It's back!"

"It can't be." Connor said in amazement as he and Helen stood transfixed to the screen.

"It is." Helen pointed at the screen, "Her body's kind of…"

"Re-booting!" Connor finished for her.

"Yes." Helen nodded, "Harper. He killed her and is bringing her back to life."

"So she'll be okay?" Stephen checked.

"She should be." Helen said, "Oh, wait!" she looked at the screen, "Her metabolism's different. He's done something…"

"Well done." Harper's voice echoed round the room.

"What have you done?" Helen asked calmly.

"Now then, Helen," Mick looked at her, "You didn't seem like someone who would turn against me. Well, not like the sort who would break a promise."

"Just tell me what you've done, Harper. I don't have time for your kind of games." Helen sighed, "Her metabolism's changed unimaginably and her chromosomes are completely mucked up."

"Well, forget mucking up chromosomes, you'll muck up my plan if _he's_ in here." He looked pointedly at Stephen.

"What have you done?" Stephen asked, his tone hard and warning.

"I've wiped you from her mind." Harper said simply, "She won't remember you at all when she wakes. That's why her metabolism is so different- love"- he spat the word like it was a life-threatening disease- "completely mucks this up and if you wipe the one someone loves from their mind, it becomes more mucked up then you could possibly imagine. Especially with her- she's so in love that it was like I tore away half of her soul."

"You can't have done that." Stephen remained in denial.

"Oh, it was easier than you could imagine." Harper said, "Whack her hard enough on the head, though not had enough to damage the brain, her body will automatically shut down. Whilst her body is in, I guess you could say "sleep mode", I connected the computer to her brain and fiddled with it for a bit. Her mind is fascinating, sure, full of worthless thoughts, but also lots of interesting ones. They were mostly about you and whether you're okay and whether she'd ever see you again, but the rest were interesting. It was very surprising how many of her memories and thoughts I had to remove to wipe you completely away."

"Why?" Connor asked, "Why can't she remember us?"

"Not you. It's Stephen she can't remember. She'll know who you are." Harper told him.

"But what's the point?" Stephen growled, "What's the _bloody_ point?"

"The point?" Mick smiled, "Well, purely for research of course."

"Research? That's it?"

"Yes. If the man she loves had been removed from her life, would she still have the same feelings for someone else? Would she be alone forever? Would she like Connor any more than she does now? As more than a friend?"

"If she did, I wouldn't take her- she's Stephen's." Connor said, "I could never love someone that loved someone else as much as she did."

"You can't do this Harper." Helen said.

"Why not?" Harper asked.

"Because love is too strong. Your plan will never work. If what you say is true, it won't work. If she really loves him that much, it simply won't happen."

"It will. If it doesn't, I can do it again. And again. And again." Mick said, "And if you don't like it Helen, then you can join these two when I throw them back in the cell."

"Fine." Helen retaliated.

"That's settled then. Say goodbye Stephen. Because this time, this time, I can guarantee that you will never see her again."

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As much as I hate Helen, I decided to make her turn to the good side because they need her. But how the hell are they gonna sort this out? Ah! You'll have to wait and see! X Factor's on now so I'm gonna go watch it- Diana all the way!!! (Lol- I wrote this A/N _ages_ ago when I actually wrote this chapter and I am now adding this bit on top of it while I check this whilst I'm ill in bed off school and Diana got voted off four days ago- sob sob!)

Please review.

Steph


	14. Forgotten

Author's Note- The fact that I am writing this as I watch the X Factor with Leona Lewis on (the one where she makes an appearance on the new series to promote her new album, not the series, like, two or three years ago- now that really would be a long time!) probably shows how long it takes me to update because you're probably sat there thinking "But that was, like, three weeks ago!". Lol. But please enjoy!

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"Abby?" the voice was distant. She could barely hear it, but she knew that it was male, "Abby, are you okay?"

She opened her eyes warily and blinked. The light was very, very bright and there were three people leaning over her. Or was it two? No there were three of them.

"Abby!" the man's voice was relieved and she noticed that it was coming from the person on the far left, who she now recognised as Professor Nick Cutter.

"What happened?" she asked, surprised at how slurred and groggy her voice sounded.

"Well…" Nick hesitated, "We're not exactly sure, but we do know that you have to get out of here as soon as you can." He said, "Are you okay?"

"Um…" Abby blinked again, "I'm not sure. I think there's something wrong with my sight." She said as she noticed that she could see two of the same person sending her the same worried look, "I can see two Jennys." She admitted.

"Ah. Yes." Nick sighed, "Don't worry about that. We'll explain later. Well, I will." He put his arm round her shoulder and helped her to her feet, "Can you stand up?"

"No." Abby concluded from the way her legs collapsed from underneath her, "I can't feel my legs."

"Where are Stephen and Connor?" Jenny asked Nick quietly.

"Connor!" Abby cried, suddenly realising he was missing, "Where's Connor?"

"I don't know." Cutter said, "And I don't know where Stephen is either."

"Who's Stephen?" Abby asked, searching her mind for a face that went with the vaguely familiar name.

"Are you joking?" Claudia asked, her eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Who is he?" Abby insisted.

"He's the person you came all the way out here for." Nick told her, "Because you are so madly in love with him." He was very surprised when Abby burst out laughing.

"There are two things wrong there, Nick." She said, "One- I never came running out here for anyone, and two- I am madly, well, fairly, in love with Connor."

"Connor?" Jenny asked, glancing at Nick, who was already sending her a confused look.

"Yes. We've been together ages, remember?" Abby said.

"Yes. Come on. Let's get out of here. We'll find Connor." Cutter lied and beckoned Jenny over.

"Nick… She's…" Jenny started, but Nick interrupted.

"Take her other arm. We'll have to carry her until she gets the feeling back in her legs." He ordered. Jenny looked confused but did as she was told.

"Claudia, you'll have to hold the doors open for us." Nick instructed. Claudia nodded, though she too looked baffled.

"Right. Let's go." Cutter said, pointing towards the door that they hadn't come through. Claudia opened it and gasped as she saw the unconscious soldiers.

"It's okay, Claudia." Nick told her, "It looks like Stephen and Connor have been here already."

"And would Stephen really leave without Abby?" Jenny pointed out.

"I don't know." Cutter took her point, but shook his head, "We just have to get out of here. Claudia, take their walkie-talkies."

"Yes, Sir." She muttered, but Jenny heard and a small smile flickered across her face.

"Come on." Nick said, and the two women nodded, as Abby's eyes shut once again.

"What's wrong with her?" Claudia asked as they passed through the double-doors that she was holding open.

"I don't know." Nick admitted, "Mind control maybe?"

"Is it permanent?" Jenny wondered.

"Perhaps." Cutter replied, "I don't get why she can't remember who Stephen is."

"Are you sure she's not joking?" Claudia.

"Yes. Abby wouldn't do that." Nick frowned, "Besides, they were absolutely besotted earlier. She couldn't just drop that. Unless…" he paused, a look of horror passing over his face.

"Unless what?" Jenny noticed the fright on his face.

"Unless she's one of them." Cutter gulped, "Unless she's behind this."

"That's ridiculous!" Claudia scoffed, but Nick just sighed.

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"You can't do this!" Stephen yelled as he was, once again, thrown into a jail cell along with Connor and Helen.

"I think you'll find that I can." Harper grinned menacingly, before leaving them.

"Great." Connor sighed, "We're stuck back in here again."

Neither Stephen nor Helen responded, both deep in thought. Helen was beginning to regret this. Now she was stuck in one of these impossible-to-escape-from cells too. She had given in. Given into guilt and love. The two emotions that she had pushed away for so long had finally made her crumble. Her love for Nick had made her help them, and seeing Abby and Stephen so close, closer than she had ever been to Nick, had made her nice streak come out. She felt Stephen's loss badly now, and she felt guilty, knowing that it was her fault. Or partly her fault. Why did she care so much about her own life? In obeying Harper, she had saved her own life, but killed Abby. And in killing Abby, she had killed Stephen. Connor's loyalty made her feel even worse. She desperately tried to think of a solution, but none came, nothing. She realised that, while bad people obtained bad things, it was only so long before the good fell. In stories, the good always won, in real-life, the good always lost. The evil had the power and the good couldn't overcome it. Emotions were, in the end, good peoples' weaknesses. The bad pushed away all emotions, as Helen had, and stomped over other people, who let them, just because their emotions had already torn them apart. Helen had given into the emotions and they had laughed at her, used her and ripped at her. Emotions were no good. Emotions were evil. Love and guilt were the worst. Love and guilt were the ones that Helen had pushed away for nearly a decade. Love and guilt tore you up, made you give up, it chewed you up and spat you back out again. Love and guilt went hand in hand, and Helen had succumbed to both.

"Stephen?" Connor asked, looking at the older man. He sat in a corner of the cell, his head in his hands, "Stephen? Aren't we going to look for an escape?"

"What's the point?" Stephen spat, "I give up. It just gets worse, Connor. Every time I see her, he takes her away, _again_. What's the point of running after her again when she might not even remember who I am?"

"She _will_, Stephen." Connor insisted, "She loves you, she told me!"

"She told me as well, before she was manipulated, brain washed, killed by him." Stephen said.

"Stephen," Helen spoke up now.

"What?" Stephen glared at her, "This is all your fault! If you had never bribed her here, she'd be fine!"

"I know, and I'm more sorry than I can say, but now isn't the time to have a go at me." Helen said truthfully, "But you can't give up. You'd be breaking a promise."

"What promise?" Stephen asked.

"One you made Abby." Helen watched as a sense of recognition clouded over Stephen's face, "You promised her something, didn't you?"

"So did you." Stephen said, although he was weakening.

"I never broke my promise." Helen pointed out, "I promised she could see you, and she did. You promised that you wouldn't leave her. You promised that you wouldn't let her go, that you wouldn't be separated."

"I couldn't promise that." Stephen sighed, "I knew that and so did she."

"So you're just going to give up?" Helen commented.

"But what can I do?" Stephen asked, "I'm stuck here in this cell from the future that no one's ever escaped from except…" he looked at her, his expression brightening, "Except you!"

"What?" Connor looked very confused and sat down beside Stephen.

"You escaped, Harper told me!" Stephen cried, "You know how we can get out of here!"

"No, I don't." Helen sighed, "Do you really think that he'd lock me up somewhere I could escape from? No, Harper broke me free so that he could get his filthy hands on that machine. I don't know how to escape."

"What did he do to break you free?" Stephen asked.

"I don't know." Helen admitted.

"You don't know? What did he tell you?" Stephen looked at her in disbelief.

"He just said: "Do you want to be free or not?" When I said yes, he made a bargain with me and set me free."

"What was the bargain?" Stephen asked.

"Well, I had to give him the machine and he set me free." Helen paused, "And I promised to get him someone to test it on."

"So you thought, hmm- Stephen! He's dead." Stephen's eyes flared with anger.

"No." Helen shook her head, "Harper wanted Nick, but I wouldn't let him. Anyway, this was before you were dead. We set up the machine and tested it on mice and stuff, but Harper got ambitious, got bored. He said that if I didn't get him someone soon, then he'd get Nick himself. I thought up a plan and got you on my side. It wasn't too difficult because Nick had already cast you aside, so when you sacrificed yourself, that was the final part of the plan complete. You were dead and I wouldn't be doing anything bad in using the machine on you, because, well, what was the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, not much." Stephen growled.

"Don't be like that." Helen sighed.

"You killed me, on purpose!" Stephen raised his voice, "That's _murder_! What am I supposed to be like?"

"Maybe a little more forgiving." Helen suggested. Stephen opened his mouth to retaliate, but someone else spoke instead.

"What happened to you three?" Nick said, coming to the front of the cell.

"Cutter!" Connor sprang to his feet.

"Connor!" Abby came running down the corridor, apparently re-gained the use of her legs, Jenny and Claudia right behind her.

"Abby." Connor grinned at her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I've got a bit of a headache." Abby admitted, "Are _you_ okay? Why are you in there?" suddenly she caught sight of Stephen huddled in the corner, "Who's that?" she whispered.

"That's Stephen." Connor said gently and Stephen looked up at the sound of his name, "Do…" Connor hesitated, "Do you remember him?"

Abby stared at him, her blue eyes wide and boring into his. He seemed familiar, but her mind struggled to fit both his face and name to a memory. His own blue eyes were filled with hope and desperation, almost pleading with her to remember something. Her eyes filled with tears as she searched desperately in her memory for him and one escaped her as she realised that she didn't know who he was and that she had let him down. She broke eye contact and looked at the floor, shaking her head.

"No." She whispered, more tears dripping down her face as she imagined the disappointment that would be shown in his eyes.

"It's okay." Jenny put her arm round Abby, but Abby pushed it off.

"It's clearly not okay, is it?" she cried, "Why can't I remember? I want to go home!" she broke down and sat on the floor, sob-like noises escaping her.

"I know," Jenny knelt down beside her.

"I have an idea." Helen muttered, more to herself than anyone else and she took Stephen's hand and pulled him to his feet.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"We have to get out, or at least onto the other side." Helen replied, "Nick."

"What?" Cutter looked up at her.

"You see that bag hung up there?" Helen pointed to a peg at the far end of the corridor. Nick nodded, "Tip out the contents."

"Okay." Nick nodded again and tipped the contents of the bag on the floor.

"Ah!" Helen grinned, "Pass me the pen-knife."

"You'll never cut these bars with a pen knife." Nick said, but passed it to her anyway.

"I never said I was going to." Helen took it and flicked through the various parts.

"What _are_ you going to do?" Claudia asked.

"Wait and see!" Helen grinned as she flicked open a fork.

"A fork?" Connor raised one eyebrow.

"Yep. A fork." Helen smiled and turned to Stephen, "Kneel down." She ordered.

"What?" Stephen looked at her.

"Get onto your knees." Helen repeated, "I need to get up a bit higher."

"Okay." Stephen said uncertainly. He knelt down and Helen stepped onto his back. She wobbled once, but then steadied herself and began jabbing the ceiling with the end of the fork. It was hard and refused to crack but then, gradually, bits of dust fell away and chunks of the hard plaster fell to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nick asked.

"There's a pipe up here with gas in- it's the supply for the heating system. One tiny stab from each of the three prongs will let out enough gas to create a minute explosion. Then I will cover it with a plaster and there won't be too much gas loose in the air. Well, not too much for our explosion. Then, we get out and the next time Harper turns on a light, the gas will have escaped and the building will blow up, destroying the cloning machine as well."

"We're gonna kill Harper?" Jenny checked.

"Yes." Helen replied bluntly, and then grinned as the sound of hissing filled the room for about thirty seconds, before Helen shoved the plaster over the three holes, "Nick! Pass me your lighter!" she ordered, but Nick had realised this before her and already had it out. He threw it to her as she jumped off of Stephen's back.

"Everybody stand back!" she warned, before lighting the Zippo.

There was a loud bang and the bars disintegrated before them.

"Come on!" Helen tossed the lighter back to Nick and began to run down the corridor, "Hurry up! Harper will have heard that!"

"Oh, don't worry." A harsh voice came from behind them, "Harper heard that. Harper definitely heard that!"

Helen, Nick, Jenny, Claudia, Stephen, Abby and Connor all turned to see Mick Harper stood there grinning at them.

"Very clever, Helen." He congratulated, "Yes, very good, but I'm afraid you've been caught- again. No second chances now, Helen, you're going to die with the rest of them. I can't let them get away with my… experiment. Not when it's going so well. Not when she can't remember a thing about him."

"You…" Stephen growled.

"Kiss her." Helen interrupted him.

"What?" Stephen looked at her.

"Just do it!" Helen cried.

Stephen looked at Abby, whose face was firmly fixed on the floor and walked to her side. She looked up and Stephen swore he saw a sense of recognition in her eyes, but he didn't hesitate to ask her, instead, pressing his lips on hers and kissing her passionately. At first, she didn't respond, but then she cautiously moved her lips with his and kissed him back, her hands reaching round the back of his head and running her fingers through his hair. It took a split second for it to all come rushing back- the memories, the passion, the love… One moment and she felt it all again. She grinned through the kiss and it became more passionate.

When they eventually broke apart, they gazed into each others eyes for what seemed like ages, when Abby finally whispered, "Stephen?"

"You remember." He smiled and hugged her close.

"What did you do?" Harper asked angrily.

"I told you that their love was too strong." Helen said, her eyes glittering with mischievousness.

"Oh, well." Mick rested his head in his hands, before coming to a decision and looking up at them, "Fine- she can die with you."

"What?" Stephen glared at him.

"In case you forgot, _someone_ has released gas into the atmosphere and the building will blow up the next time a light is turned on." Harper reminded them as the hissing of the gas was ever present.

"And you're going to leave us here to blow up with it?" Nick realised.

"Why not?" Mick shrugged, "You were going to do it."

"There's one of you. There're seven of us." Helen said.

"What a shame." Harper sighed, though it was clear that he didn't mean it, "Now, I know you know your way around, Helen, so I need to do something to keep you here, don't I?" he seemed to ponder this for a moment, before cocking the pistol and pointing it squarely at Abby. Stephen stood in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Jenny looked at Harper in horror.

"It was these two you came after in the first place, you're not really going to leave them, are you?" with that he pulled the trigger and Abby screamed as the bullet shot into her left shin. Mick smiled as everyone grouped round her and sloped off to collect the cloning machine before the building blew up.

"Why does he always go for me?" Abby joked weakly as she slid to the floor.

"Don't say that." Stephen said, inspecting her ankle.

"It's true, though." Helen pointed out from the other side of the corridor.

"What are you doing?" Nick called to her.

"Getting some stuff out of this bag." Helen came over, tearing strips of material up as a make-shift dressing, "We have to get out. I know the way and I know that none of you will leave without her. So we need to carry her out, Stephen you can do that, and we need to put something on her wound so that she hasn't bled to death by the time we get out. **If **we get out." She explained, as she began to wind the material round Abby's injury which was already bleeding profusely.

"Leave it, Helen. You can't die from an injury that small." Nick told her.

"You'd be surprised, Nick." Helen shook her head.

"Well, do it fast." Jenny said, the smell of the gas already too strong for her liking.

"I'm trying!" Helen snapped. No one said anything whilst Helen continued to wrap Abby's injury. She winced as it got tighter and gripped Stephen's hand, her bitten nails leaving marks on his palm.

"There." Helen said after what felt like hours, "It's not brilliant, but it'll stem the blood for long enough. Come on." Everyone nodded and followed Helen towards the door. Abby winced again and tried to stand, but pain shot through her leg.

"Hey!" Stephen stopped her gently, "Don't do that. I'll carry you."

"I'm not a bloody invalid!" Abby snapped, but Stephen swept her off her feet all the same.

"This way!" Helen called back and they followed her to the end of the corridor. They waited as she used the keys on her belt to unlock the door, but then Helen abruptly stopped unlocking.

"What is it?" Cutter came to inspect the locks next to her.

"He's added another padlock," Helen replied, "We're trapped."

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14 chapters! Wow. This is nearly finished which is kinda exciting but really disappointing at the same time! There And Abby being shot is totally relevant, although, I admit, it does seem a little OTT.

Please review.

Steph


	15. Trapped

Author's Note- Thanks so much for reading!!! Only three more chapters to go... That's a bit sad :( Well, enjoy while it's here!

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"We're trapped?" Stephen repeated her words.

"Yes." Helen responded miserably.

"So we're going to die?" Claudia asked.

"That is the implication, yes." Helen's voice was laced with sarcasm. All seven of them stared at the last padlock for a bit, in silence.

Suddenly Nick exclaimed in annoyance, "I've had enough of this." He growled and began to kick the padlock. It withheld the blows at first, but then they all saw that it was weakening. Eventually it snapped open and Nick bent down and pulled it off.

"Well done." Jenny grinned at him and Claudia glared at her in turn. Nick threw the broken padlock aside and pushed the door open, standing aside to let the others through.

"Go. Quickly." He urged. Helen nodded and led the way out of the chamber, heading for the exit.

"What if he sees us?" Claudia began to worry.

"He won't." Nick assured her, "He's too busy worrying about his own life to do anything to us. That and this place blowing into smithereens and breaking his machine."

"That damn machine." Stephen groaned, shifting Abby's weight in his arms.

"You can put me down now." Abby muttered.

"No." Stephen refused.

"Yes, just put me down, Stephen." She sighed.

"No, you can barely walk on that and you'll slow us down." Stephen said, a smile playing about his lips, "Besides, I can cope."

"Whatever." Abby grinned and rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her ankle.

"Are you okay?" Stephen asked, wanting to keep a conversation going, so they didn't worry too much as they left the smell of the gas behind.

"I'm fine, stop worrying!" Abby laughed feebly.

"Who said I was worried?" Stephen teased.

"Nick." Helen called him to her side at the front.

"What?" he asked on arrival next to her.

"What are you going to do with those two?" Helen asked under her breath.

"Who? Abby and Stephen?" Nick looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"No! Jenny and Claudia." she corrected, "You do realise that when you go back through the anomaly, you'll lose them both unless you choose?"

"It crossed my mind." Nick admitted.

"So what are you going to do?" Helen asked gently, emotion showing in her voice for the first time since long before she had disappeared. Nick looked at her, into her eyes and he saw sympathy for him. As soon as he caught Helen's eye she looked away, back ahead of them into the dark corridor, but he had seen it. She still loved him. If she had come back for him before, he would've accepted her back, but not now. It was too late now.

"I don't know." Nick sighed, scratching his head.

"Which would you prefer to return with? The one that came with you, or the one that you've been searching for?"

"I don't _know_ Helen!" Cutter cried, "They're exactly the same. Look at them. They don't just look the same, they act the same, they speak the same, they probably even _think_ the same! How can I choose one out of two people that are _exactly the same_?!"

"Go with the one you feel for the most." Helen suggested and no more was said on the matter.

"You do know the way out, don't you?" Connor checked, interrupting their conversation.

"Of course I do!" Helen snapped, "Its right there." She pointed to the next door and marched over to it, flinging it open and revealing the night that lay beyond it. They followed her to the other side of the desert.

"We should stop now," Nick suggested as they came far enough away from the building to not be caught up in the explosion, if and when it occurred. He looked over at Stephen, who was finally beginning to tire from carrying Abby and knew that stopping would be the right thing to do. He also wanted time to think for himself as well. Connor flopped onto the ground, without waiting for a response to Nick's question and the others quickly followed suit. Nick's eyes passed over Claudia and hovered on Jenny for a moment, before turning back to Claudia. They had sat next to each other, although were clearly trying to keep a fair distance between them.

"Do you think Harper's still in there?" Jenny asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know and I don't care. I hope he gets blown to pieces, the slimy piece of shit." Connor growled menacingly. Abby fought to keep a smile from her face at Connor's graphic words.

"How long do you think till it blows?" Stephen asked Helen, his arm still wrapped protectively around Abby as she perched on his lap.

"Not very long. About ten or fifteen minutes."

"But surely if everyone evacuates the building, they'll be no one there to turn on a light and blow it up?" Connor asked.

"It would blow up eventually- it'll reach a light source after a while." Helen shrugged, but then she gasped.

"What?" Nick looked at her.

"The detector!" she said, "We need the detector!"

"And the detector's in the building?" Jenny groaned.

"Yeah." Helen nodded.

"Can't we cope without it?" Abby looked up, worry etched over her face.

"Well, we could but, put it this way- the detector opens anomalies and without it, we could be stranded here forever, maybe even stranded with Mick Harper." Helen said.

"We have to get that detector." Cutter said unnecessarily. He looked at Helen, "You'll have to get it- you're the only one who knows where it is."

"I don't know where he keeps them." Helen told him, fear in her eyes as she turned them on him.

"You don't?" Nick looked at her in horror. Helen shook her head and Cutter rested his own in his hands.

"I do." Stephen said.

"What?" Helen's eyes widened.

"I know where he keeps the detectors." Stephen repeated, "I saw him put them away whilst I was in there."

"Would you be able to get one?" Nick asked.

"Yeah." Stephen nodded, "Well, I can try."

"No!" Abby cried.

"Abby, it's the only way we're ever going to get out of here." Nick said.

"Tell me where they are, _I'll_ go." Abby said.

"No. You wouldn't be able to get back with your foot like that." Stephen refused.

"Don't go. It's impossible." Abby whispered.

"I have to try." Stephen murmured.

"No!" Abby said again, silent tears beginning to stain her cheeks.

"Look after her." Stephen looked to Connor who nodded as Stephen shifted a now hysterical Abby off of his lap.

"No!" Abby screamed, "No! Don't leave me! You promised you wouldn't leave me."

"I'll be back." Stephen whispered, giving her a brief kiss before running back off towards the gas-filled building.

"NO!" Abby screamed , desperately attempting to stand on her injured leg, but Connor pushed her firmly back down, "No."

"He'll be back- we're depending on him." Nick came to her side too and rested a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"He won't be though!" Abby wept, "It's impossible for him to get out of there alive." Her voice caught in her throat as she realised that, this time, there would be no happy reunion.

"He'll try his hardest." Helen promised, but wished she hadn't spoken when she was met with a look of pure venom from Abby.

"This is all your fault." She accused, "In the graveyard that time, you said that it wasn't your fault he died, but it was a sick plan all the time. All the time you were planning this. Everything you ever said was twisted lies. You're disgusting and I hate you so much for doing this to him. And to me." Abby didn't raise her voice, but, in a way, that made it worse. She also didn't break eye contact, which was unnerving as Helen knew that every word she said was true. There was a long awkward silence.

"Nick?" Jenny broke it.

"What?" Nick looked over at her.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jenny asked uncomfortably. Nick nodded and the two of them stepped aside so that the others couldn't overhear.

"What do you want?" Nick looked her in the eye.

"I overheard you and Helen talking earlier…" Jenny muttered, "And I think she did too."

"Jenny…"

"Nick, hear me out." Jenny interrupted, "I…" she gulped, "I think that you should take her."

"Claudia?"

"Yes." Jenny nodded, "You loved her long before you ever met me and the picture…"

"That means nothing Jenny. There's one of you there too." Nick assured her.

"Of me?" Jenny whispered.

"Yes." Cutter admitted.

Jenny was silent for a moment, lost in thought, but then she smiled and said: "You perv."

"Yeah." Nick grinned back, but the grin quickly fell from his face.

"Nick, it's okay. Just have Claudia," Jenny said, "Please."

"But I don't know what'll happen to you." Cutter looked into her dark eyes, searching them for an emotion.

"I don't care." Jenny whispered, "You said before we came that it would be dangerous, and here's the danger. Claudia's been by herself for six whole months!"

"And I've lived without her for six whole months." Nick pointed out.

"Nick?" Claudia came over as well.

"Yes?" Cutter replied as he and Jenny turned to face her.

"It's okay." She smiled gently.

"What is?" Nick furrowed his brow.

"You can take Jenny." Claudia looked at him like he was stupid, "That is what you have just been talking about isn't it?"

"No, not quite." Jenny mumbled

"Oh." Claudia flushed and Nick sighed.

"You both want me to take the other." He said, mostly to himself, "But I don't have a clue what to do."

"Just choose." Claudia and Jenny both said at the same time, making Nick jump. He smiled at both of them, but the smile faded as quickly as it appeared.

Meanwhile Abby struggled with Connor.

"Let me go!" she cried.

"No." Connor responded flatly, holding his arms round her. Usually, Abby would've been able to free herself from his grasp easily, but she had lost half her strength already, and she knew that she wouldn't get very far even if she did break free so she wasn't using all of her remaining strength anyway.

"He can't die, Connor." She whispered, ceasing to struggle against his hold, and instead resting her head on his shoulder, "Not again."

"He'll get back." Connor said, "You'll see. He'll be fine."

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Stephen ran back towards the building, not daring to look back at Abby. His pulse raced as he ran back through the door that they had just come out of, hearing it slam shut behind him as he raced through the corridor. He remembered the room he had been in when Harper had first taken him out of the "jail anomaly" as Mick and Helen called it. That was when he had seen Harper put the detector away, that was how he knew where they were. He stopped running for a second as he came to a break in the corridor, uncertain of which way to go. The smell of the gas was overwhelming now and Stephen knew that he had less time than Helen had anticipated. Suddenly he remembered the way and raced to his left through two more sets of double-doors, before coming to a halt in front of a solid steel door. He tried the handle, amazed to find that it wasn't locked, but when he opened it, he saw why.

"How…?" Harper stared at him.

"Did I get out?" Stephen finished his question for him.

"Yes." Mick replied, his face pale, "Where are the others?"

"They're not here." Stephen responded careful not to give anything away, "And getting out was just too easy, Harper."

"I know why you're here, and you're not going to get one," Mick's worried expression changed as a smile overtook his face.

"Well, if I'm going to die, then you're going to answer my questions." Stephen said.

"Go on." Harper raised an eyebrow, obviously willing to humour him. He didn't realise that Stephen was playing for time to think up a plan to get out.

"Why?" Stephen asked, pacing, "Why did you do all of this? What exactly have you achieved?"

"Well…" Mick pondered the question for a bit, "Not much." He admitted eventually, "But I have experimented and realised that I just need stupider people to experiment with, ones that don't know as much about the anomalies. And I bought the girl back to life without anything exploding. I did that- that was a big achievement. And she didn't even know who you were. She had no memory of you."

"Until I kissed her." Stephen pointed out, "Helen was right, wasn't she? And you were wrong. Love _is_ too strong. Love will always win against evil."

"Not now." Harper grinned again, "You're stuck in here going to die and she's going to live. You're going to die because of evil and there's nothing your stupid emotions can do to stop it."

"But you're going to die too." Stephen said.

"Is that what you think?" Harper chuckled, "Really? That's very funny. No, we're going to lock you in here and go and find your friends. We'll tell them how you were brave and then how you were blown to pieces. We'll watch the girl fall apart and cry into the geek's shoulder. Then we'll leave them and they'll never get out, not without a detector. Which, tragically, you didn't manage to get. So this time, this time, the bad will triumph. The good will lose. I will go and find someone else to experiment on."

"But your machine will be blown up in the explosion." Stephen said.

"I'll go back to the future and get another one." Mick shrugged, "Anything can happen when you have access to everything. Everything that has ever existed and ever will."

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He's so evil isn't he? XD

Thank you so much for reading this! And for all of the reviews! I'm very sad to say that there will be a character death in the next chapter, but I'm not saying who. So if you don't like those then it is probably best you stop reading, but don't you want to know how this person dies, and if Stephen will get away? And, the obvious question, who is going to die? Ah, well, you'll have to read it won't you! Please? And please review as well!!! Please remember that this is a warning for all who dislike character deaths and I am not saying don't read it cos that would make me sad :(

Steph


	16. Opinions

**Author's Note- **Penultimate chapter people. Sorry. Character death, just to warn you, but it is good, so read it anyway and tell me if it made you cry because that is one of my life's ambitions. :)

And sorry it's taken me a long time to update as well, but I've been a bit busy, what with Christmas and everything. I hope you all have a great 2009!!! Happy New Year!

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Nick looked from Claudia's face to Jenny's and back again. Deep down, he knew that he would have to choose, and, also deep down, he knew which one he had and always would, but this was real. This wasn't the time to dwell on his feelings for each of them. This was the time when he would have to officially choose between them. But he couldn't do that to either one- he couldn't tell one that they were surplus and kiss the other while she gloated, could he?

He looked over at Abby as she cried into Connor's shoulder. For a moment, he felt jealous of her. At least she had it easy; there was only one Stephen, one soul mate, no choice. But then he remembered where her soul mate had gone. Then he remembered that it was unlikely she would ever see him again and he felt a surge of pity, a surge of pain. He had told her that Stephen would be back, but, if he was honest, he doubted it. He couldn't say that he didn't care because he did, but he knew that, even though Stephen was his best friend, he couldn't feel even half of Abby's pain. She was hurting bad.

"Nick?" Jenny and Claudia both broke through his distracted thoughts, speaking scarily in unison.

"I'm going after him, I have to." Nick mumbled.

"What?" Claudia gasped.

"But that's crazy!" Jenny exclaimed, "You don't even know where he went!"

"I should've gone in the first place!" Cutter shook his head, "Don't you see? Stephen has Abby, I still have to make an impossible decision and Stephen has just practically sacrificed himself to save us- _again_. That should have been me! I don't have a place, I just have a decision- if I go, and die, you two can just scrap between yourselves, but I don't want to choose, okay? I can't. So I'm going to go." With that, he ran off after Stephen.

"Nick!" Claudia and Jenny both screamed, but he ignored them and kept running. He knew it now- he knew this was his destiny.

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"Do you honestly not care about anything?" Stephen asked in amazement.

"I care about lots of things. I care about power and time-travel and inventions and the future and… and… all sorts of stuff." Harper said.

"But do you actually care about anything _important_? Like love? Or friendship? Or helping people?" Stephen shook his head at Mick's answer.

"Opinions." Harper sighed, "Those things are important in your opinion, but really not in mine. In my opinion, power _is_ important. Love just gets in the way."

"Have you honestly never fallen in love?" Stephen wondered softly.

"No." Mick shuddered, "It ruins you."

"Well, I'm sorry but, like you said, opinions. I think friendship and love _makes_ a person, not ruins them. And, to be quite honest, I have nothing more to say here. Go ahead, kill me, but, Harper, you will never be defeated, because you have no compassion and no love, you are made of hate and evil. And people like that always lose- look at Spiderman." Stephen concluded his speech, a tiny smile breaking through on his face. He was going to die, he was going to be blown to smithereens, but he didn't actually care. As long as Abby was fine, Stephen didn't care. And Mick Harper had been stupid enough to stay behind for too long- he was as good as dead.

Harper scowled at Stephen and waved the detector that was in his palm at the younger man, "But I have the detector. And I have won." He grinned.

"Hand it over." A new voice made the smile vanish from Harper's smug face as he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head.

"Nick." Stephen breathed in relief.

"Hand it over, Harper." Nick repeated and grinned at Stephen as Mick passed the detector over his shoulder.

"Now, let's get out of here." Stephen said.

"Wait a second, Stephen." Nick stopped his friend.

"We can't just leave Harper here to die."

"Why not?" Stephen asked in disbelief, as though the man in question was not listening to their every word, "He was going to leave me."

"Yes, but that makes us like him. We're better than that, Stephen. We should give him a choice."

"Do what you like." Stephen huffed, glaring at Mick Harper, "But if you think he'll change, then you've got another thing coming."

"I will! I will!" Mick spoke up for the first time, "I promise I can change. Just let me go, please. Take me with you."

"Do you promise to leave the cloning machine and never go back to the future?" Nick asked, "And not to kill anybody? To stop experimenting?"

"I will. Anything. Please." Harper said.

"But Nick, look at all the broken promises." Stephen said, "What's one more to a man like him? He's lying."

"I don't think that he is." Cutter shook his head and so did Mick.

Stephen inhaled sharply but regretted it almost instantly as the smell of the gas gave him a headache.

"Whatever. Let's just go." He growled, and the three men ran out of the room and back along the corridor that they had come down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where's Nick gone?" Abby asked Connor, though the answer was obvious.

"I think…" Connor gulped, "I think he's gone after Stephen."

"But… But now they'll both die." Abby stuttered, forcing the words past a lump in her throat.

"No they won't. They'll be back." Connor said, still trying to force Abby into denial, though he knew that this would probably later be a mistake.

"I'm so sorry." Abby sighed.

"For what?" Connor asked.

"For everything I've put you through since Stephen died." Abby whispered, "All those nightmares, the denial. I must've been hell to live with."

"It was a tough time for all of us." Connor soothed, "You were in mourning- you did nothing wrong."

"But I put you through so much. And then I just ran away. I should've told you."

"It would've helped." Connor admitted.

"We wouldn't all be here on the brink of death if it weren't for me." Abby sighed again.

"But then you wouldn't have met Stephen again." Connor pointed out.

"I should've still told you." Abby said, "I shouldn't have been so selfish."

"Abby," Connor put a finger on her lips, "Stop beating yourself up. You and Stephen are probably both a lot happier having met again. And, me? Well, if you're happy, I'm happy, okay?"

"No." Abby grumbled, "I've condemned you to death. And Nick. And Jenny. And…" she looked at Claudia and trailed off.

"Abby." Jenny butted in, "You have _not_ condemned us all to death. We're going to get out of here. With Stephen. And Nick."

"See?" Connor said, as though Jenny knew the outcome and knew that they would be fine, although they all knew that Jenny could be no more sure of that then they all could.

"Yes." Claudia echoed, "We'll be fine."

Abby sighed again and looked up instinctively, just as the main door to the building opened and three people sprinted towards them. Her face lit up and she leapt out of Connor's arms, beginning to run towards them, but Connor held her back.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, "Let me go!"

"They'll be here in a minute. Just wait, Abby!" Connor didn't say that if she got any closer, it was likely she would be caught up in the explosion too. Abby struggled slightly against his hold, but only got away when he released her and she jumped straight into Stephen's arms.

"Ohmigod you did it!" she breathed in his ear and he laughed, before kissing her. When he broke apart from her, she jumped lightly to the floor and looked at Mick in disbelief.

"Why did he come?" she demanded.

"Ask Nick." Stephen replied darkly.

"He's changed." Nick said, "He promised."

"Why Nick?" Helen groaned, "You're too soft."

"So you think that I should've left him for dead?" Cutter glared at his wife.

"He would've had it been the other way round." Helen said, "But that's not really the point, Nick."

"Then what _is_ the point, Helen?" Nick raised his voice.

"He won't change, Nick. He's not going to. He'll keep killing and experimenting until we're all dead." Helen said coldly.

"I'm sad that you think that of me, Helen." Mick growled and Stephen glared at him.

"Your conscience is amazing, Nick." Helen shook her head, "You make the wrong choices. He's evil. And he always will be."

"But the evil guys never win, just like Stephen said." Nick sighed, "He'll change his ways or he'll lose. It's as simple as that. I couldn't just stand by and let him die. Like a murderer. Like you."

Helen opened her mouth to say something, but whatever she said was blocked by the noise of the explosion. The inevitable explosion. Abby jumped and Stephen cradled her in his arms and the others' hands flew to their ears to cover them. In an instant Mick Harper had snatched the pistol off of Nick and was pointing it at them each in turn. As the noise died down, each of them threw their hands up in a gesture of surrender and Mick grinned.

"Now, this is how it should be." He smiled after a minute, "The evil guys do _not_ always lose- they win. Hate will always triumph over love. And you... You will never defeat me." He said.

"Now, calm down, Harper." Nick was the first to brave speaking aloud, letting one hand drop slowly. Mick whirled around to point the pistol at him and he pushed his arm back up into the air, "Calm down- you don't want to do this, okay? Don't do it."

"What makes you think that your pathetic words are going to stop me?" Harper laughed, "What makes you think that I'm going to say "sure thing, Cutter."? What on earth makes you think that I'm going to drop the gun, let go of the power I have right now?"

"You're pathetic." Stephen snapped.

"What?" Mick turned to the brunet.

"You heard me- you're a pathetic twat. You promised. I knew you'd break it- what's one more broken promise to a guy like you?" Stephen raised an eyebrow, "You're evil."

"D'you know what, Stephen?" Harper spat, "I may well be evil, but, this time, this time, _I'm_ going to win." He grinned and held up the gun. Stephen saw what he was going to do and he grabbed Abby's waist, throwing her to the floor, just as Harper pulled the trigger.

There was a moment of silence, but then Stephen gasped for breath and fell to his knees.

"NO!" Abby's pained shriek started the action. Helen grabbed Harper's arm and yanked it back, there was a loud snap and Harper cried out in pain, whilst Nick snatched the gun from his hand and pointed it at him.

"Don't do it Nick." Harper choked, "You know you couldn't. You wouldn't."

Nick shook and hesitated, whilst Helen held him in place. Nick slowly shook his head and dropped the gun.

"No." Abby whispered again, stroking the side of Stephen's face as blood poured steadily from the small hole in his shoulder and he struggled to breathe. She looked away from him, tears sliding down her face.

"You monster!" She screamed at Mick, "You evil, evil monster!!!" she grabbed the gun off of the floor and pushed it against his forehead, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger." She dared, shaking with rage.

"Do it." Harper urged.

"Abby…" Stephen whispered, "Abby, don't do it…" he said weakly. Abby shook more violently at his words, but she, too, dropped it and ran back to Stephen's side.

"Right." Helen growled, "You can't do it, but I will. I have blood on my hands already and I would love to be the one to kill this man." She reached past him and held the gun to Mick's right temple.

"Go on then Helen." Mick teased, "Kill me. I would have no hesitation was it the other way round."

"Oh, I know." Helen snarled, cocking the pistol. She took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. One bang… and it was over. Mick Harper was gone. But Abby barely noticed.

"Stephen…" she whispered crying, "Stephen…you'll be fine. We just need to get out of here and get you to a hospital… you'll be fine."

"No I won't." Stephen gripped her hand, "Abby, you and I both know that, this time, Harper's right. He won. I should've kept my big mouth shut."

"Shut up, shut up. You'll be fine." Abby sobbed, stroking his hair behind his ear, "You will. You will."

"Stop it. Listen to me…" Stephen lifted his hand feebly and took her face, forcing her to look into his eyes, "Listen to me… You are going to go home with Nick and Connor, and you are going to have a brilliant life. You are going to marry a nice guy, maybe even Connor," –he winked at Connor and Abby let a tiny smile highlight her face- "you'll marry a nice guy, have some beautiful kids and the best life imaginable, okay? You will carry on and be fine, yeah? Promise me?"

"But…" Abby stuttered.

"Promise me, Abby." Stephen winced in pain.

"I promise." She whispered.

"Good. Please carry on. Please. I love you so much."

"No, Stephen. You'll be- fine. Stop saying- goodbye- you're fine." Abby gulped, taking breaths as she sobbed.

Stephen just smiled at her, "I'm sorry."

"No." Abby moaned quietly, tears flooding down her cheeks, "Don't go. Please don't go. I love you, so much. _Please don't leave me!_"

"Kiss me." Stephen muttered, not strong enough to lift his head. Abby nodded and bent down. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him passionately, although his mouth tasted like blood and her own tears. She felt him kiss back gentle and weak, but definite and loving. Suddenly, he stopped. He became unresponsive under her mouth and she pulled away to look at him. His face was pale and his eyes were still shut from the kiss. He didn't respond to her pulling away from him or to her resting her head on his cold chest and sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. She raised her head again and kissed his cold lips over and over again, as though she could resuscitate him.

Nick, Jenny, Claudia, Helen and Connor watched her desperate attempts in silence. Eventually, Connor knelt down beside her and hugged her. Abby lightly pushed him away and continued to hug Stephen, though by now all of them knew that there was no hope. Connor smiled sadly at Abby and she wrapped her arms round her torso in internal pain. She attempted to gulp back a few sobs and bowed her head, giving in to her tears as Connor folded her into his arms.

"Nick…" Helen caught his attention in a whisper and nodded her head to her right in a signal that she wanted to talk to him. He sighed, glanced back at Abby and Connor, and followed her away from the others.

"What?" he asked, exasperated.

"I'm sorry." Helen murmured.

"It wasn't… well… It wasn't _completely _your fault…" Nick looked his wife in the eyes and found that he couldn't blame her for what had happened to Stephen, although it was more her fault than he was willing to admit.

"It was my fault, Nick." Helen answered his unsaid thoughts, "I should never have done any of it in the first place. It's my fault that he's died, _again_."

"Helen…" Nick groaned quietly, "It's over. What did you want to talk to me about really?"

"Your choice." Helen reminded him, and held up a hand to stop him as he opened his mouth to say something, "I just wanted to tell you what I thought. The truth. Jenny is… nice. But she's a clone, Nick. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. It was my fault she disappeared- Mick cloned her and placed her clone in your world. Jenny is no more than a clone."

"Helen, I've made my choice."

"You… what?" Helen blinked.

"I know which one I love. Well, I know which one I want to take back. It's just a case of telling them."

"What?" Helen's eyes widened, "But which one?"

"Nick!" Jenny cried suddenly and he spun to see her bent over an unconscious Claudia.

"What happened?" he asked joining her at Claudia's side.

"She just… collapsed." Jenny told him, worry clawing at her tone. Nick stared at Claudia's limp body, doing nothing. Helen came to his side and raised her eyebrows at him.

"I see." Was all she said.

"What's going…?" Jenny looked from Nick to Helen and back again, before realisation dawned on her face- she wasn't stupid, "You chose me?" she looked directly at Cutter.

"Jenny." Nick looked at her in return, "I have lived without Claudia for six months, but I don't think that I could bear it without you. I've never hated you, Jen. I've always loved you, I've simply always pushed it away. Like with Claudia. But it's too late for her. It's not for you."

"Cutter… I don't want someone else to die in my place." Jenny whispered, "I don't want you to choose me."

"I have. And I'm going to. Don't argue, okay?" Nick ordered, his head in his hands, "Let's just go."

"What and leave her here?!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Yes. What else are we supposed to do? If we take her, there's a good chance that you'll both disappear and I'm not having that."

"But…" Jenny started.

"Stop it." Nick looked at her, pain raging in his blue eyes, "Just be quiet and follow me."

Jenny nodded.

"Good. Helen?" Nick turned to her, though he knew what she would say.

"I'm not coming. I'll come with you and help you to the next anomaly, the right one, then I'm going." She muttered and looked down, fiddling with the detector.

"Okay." Cutter nodded and turned to Abby and Connor.

"We're leaving." He told them, "It's over."

"Okay." Connor looked up and nodded at Nick.

"No, no, no." Abby whispered, "I'm not leaving him."

"Abby…" Connor held her at arms length and looked sincerely into her eyes, "You've got to come back and live your life. You promised."

"I _can't_ leave him, Connor. I love him. More than anything." Abby looked at Stephen's body, but quickly looked away again, pain radiating from her sea-blue eyes.

"I know, but you did promise him, you owe him that much." Connor said gently, "You can bring him and have a proper funeral this time."

Abby nodded but a sob escaped her anyway.

"Come on then." Connor helped her to her feet, "Can you walk on your ankle?"

"I'll manage." She muttered.

Connor nodded and smiled at her weakly, "It's okay. You'll be okay. It's all over now." He said and, for the first time, Abby knew that it was true. Everything was over.

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Okay, did I make you cry? I made myself cry, but not with the story, just the idea… okay, now I sound like a right weirdo… But, still… And now I cannot believe what I have just done! I wrote this story so I could bring Stephen back to life and what have I done? Gone and killed him off again! I will write more Stabby fics for those of you who request, bringing him back to life again and I am very truly sorry for killing him, but it made a good story… I think. Did it? Please review.

Please note, there will be another chapter and there is another surprise to come so do not give up hope yet and please continue to review!!! Personal thanks will be at the end!

Steph


	17. Hole Filler

**Author's Note**- Last chapter!!! Thank you so much for reviewing and just for reading this! Here it is- the final chapter:

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**One year later**

Abby perched on a little brick wall and gave a little smile. So much had changed in the last year and Abby couldn't believe it. She remembered how Connor had been so supportive in the first few weeks, how he had helped her, how he had cared. She remembered being surprised when it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the first time she had lost him, no nightmares and no depression. It was as though something had been fulfilled, she had achieved something. She lived her life, almost happy, but not quite. It felt as though there was something missing, something not quite right.

Another smile waved over her expression as she thought of when that had changed and she sighed. It was a month after they had come back when she had noticed the signs, but pushed them to the back of her mind. Abby remembered how Connor had noticed that she was "under the weather" and taken her to the doctor's. The outcome had not been completely unexpected, not to Abby anyway, but as soon as she knew for sure, it had filled the hole.

She looked down and smiled again. Her hole-filler. Charlotte Claudia Hart.

"Abby?" Connor sat down beside her and looked at the sleeping baby as well, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." She smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder. There was a small pause as a light breeze blew, and Abby sighed.

"What?" Connor asked, concerned.

"I was just thinking about how much has changed." Abby murmured, "This time last year, I was stood right here, arguing with Helen. Now, here I am again, but everything is so different."

"Yeah," Connor agreed.

"I can't decide whether things are better or worse."

"But, surely things are better?" Connor asked quietly.

"Maybe." Abby said, "But maybe not. I've wished so many times that I could go back and change things. That he could be here, with me. With her." Abby looked meaningfully at her tiny daughter, "He'd have loved her, Connor. He'd be so proud."

Connor didn't have to look up, but brushed his finger across her cheek anyway and catching the tears that had escaped, "He _is_ proud, Abby. He's still there. Just not _here_."

"Not here." Abby echoed.

"But he is here, in her. She looks like him, has his hair, his eyes." Connor's own chocolate brown eyes brushed over Charlotte, "Abby, she's so his daughter."

"She'll never meet her Dad." Abby whispered sadly.

"But she has you for a Mum!" Connor exclaimed under his breath, "She's going to be the luckiest girl alive."

"And she can have you for a sort-of Dad." Abby teased, "You can be a substitute."

"Yeah." Connor muttered. He pulled his arm away from round her shoulders and sighed again.

"Connor?" Abby looked up at him, "I'm sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?"

"No. No, it's not that." Connor put his arm back round her and hugged her.

"What is it?" Abby asked gently.

"I just…" Connor hesitated.

"Spit it out."

"I… Will… I… You…" Connor stuttered, turning the box over and over in his pocket. He took a deep breath and settled for a tentative, "Do you want me to be the substitute?"

"Of course!" Abby cried, "You're my best friend, you know that. You know that you're a lot more than that."

"Oh." Was all Connor could say. Friend. He frowned and stared at Charlotte, mulling things over in his mind.

"What is it Connor?" Abby asked, frustration breaking through her tone, "And don't lie this time. You can trust me, remember?"

"I have a present for you." Connor said eventually handing her the little red velvet box. She didn't have to read the meaning behind it- she could make what she wanted to of it.

Abby eyed him suspiciously as he pressed the box into her palm before looking down at it and taking a deep breath. Then she opened it cautiously. As soon as she saw the ring inside she gasped, her mouth falling open. She looked up at Connor.

"Connor…" she whispered, though she made no noise. Connor could see in her eyes that she had made the presumption he had… had he wanted her to make it or not? Had he wanted her to presume that this engagement ring was, well, _was_ an engagement ring? He swallowed and looked at the floor, away from her questioning eyes. Had he just ruined their relationship? Had he been too pushy?

"Connor…" Abby said again, speaking aloud this time. She paused, hesitated, before clearing her throat, "Connor, I…"

"What?" Connor whispered.

"I don't know." Abby replied, sounding pained, "Is this… what I think it is?"

"Whatever." Connor muttered.

"Connor." Abby said again.

"Look, Abby, it can be whatever you want it to be, okay?"

"But what did you intend it to be?"

"I don't know." Connor sighed. Abby bit her lip and pulled his chin up, so he was looking in her eyes and then she carefully, but firmly, planted her lips onto his in an obvious gesture. She reached her arms round him, pulling him closer as the kiss became more passionate and meaningful. Suddenly a noise made Abby pull away and look down at her no-longer-sleeping baby. She smiled at Connor sympathetically and sighed.

"Bad timing." She said, her tone light.

"Indeed," Connor raised his eyebrows, "You gonna get her then?"

"She can wait for one minute. I want you to do something first." Abby's tone turned more serious as she handed back the ring, box closed, "Do it properly?" she asked.

"Oh, alright then." Connor shot her a sheepish grin and stood up, pulling her to her feet as well. Then he got down on one knee and opened the box, his grin gone and his face slowly turning a shade of red as people nearby turned to look at him proposing in a graveyard, "Abby, I promise to be the best substitute the world's ever had. The best substitute father and the best substitute husband. Will you marry me?"

"Well…" Abby pretended to consider, "I suppose so." She grinned and let him slide the ring on her ring finger before standing up and taking her in his arms.

"Wait." She stopped him as she leant into kiss her, "Why do you presume you are a substitute? Do you not think that you can make me happy as well? Just because you're not her Dad?" she glanced at the bawling baby.

"I do not think, Abby, I know." Connor said lightly, though they both knew that the teasing voice was only on top.

"You don't know anything."

"You loved him more than you ever have and ever will love me and I accept that. As long as I'm second best, I don't care." Connor said honestly.

"Well…" Abby hesitated, "I _do_ love you and you'll be a brilliant Dad…"

"But?"

"But nothing!" Abby whacked his shoulder lightly, "This is what he wanted, remember? He made me promise to marry a nice guy and have some beautiful kids. Now, you're a nice as guy as anyone and I've already got my gorgeous baby, so I've done it. I've kept my promise. And I'll keep it forever."

"You're forgetting something." Connor said.

"Other than my baby?"

"Yes." Connor snickered, "He wanted you to have a great life as well. And so do I."

"My life's as good as it could be." Abby told him, then pulled free of his grasp and bent down, lifting Charlotte from the pram. She cradled her in her arms and cooed as her crying stopped.

"I love you." Abby whispered in her ear. Connor smiled at her and pulled them into a hug planting a kiss on her hair. Abby looked over his shoulder at the ring fitting her finger perfectly and smiled. For once, she felt that everything had fallen into place: everything was finally perfect, well, almost. Her eyes wandered to the ground and Stephen's grave. She smiled and closed her eyes. Then she saw him smiling back in her mind and she finally felt happy. It was like he was smiling down on them, like he was watching and Abby knew that he was.

"Thank you." She mouthed opening her eyes, "I love you." And she always would.

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I can't believe I've finished this! Sorry this chapter is so short. More Stabby fics will be written on request and I'm sorry to any people that don't like Conby fluff like this chapter and I'm also sorry that this chapter is a lot like my other story "Leaving Him Always Hurt" (please R&R) but I thought that that was how it should end.

Please, please review- if you haven't reviewed on any other chapter, please review on this one, even if it's just to say that you do/ don't like it or it did/ didn't make you cry. Please- I really want to know what you think! Thank you!

Thanks so much to all readers and especially reviewers. Thanks so much to all reviewers that did write a review but didn't get on here and everyone that reviews after I wrote this, but this is a personal thanks to all reviewers (if you have reviewed but are missing, please feel free to tell me):

Xanthiae (especially as you gave me my first review!)

Leafy 08

Kate/ ..

Stargirl H- or as she is more fondly known, Mrs Japeth the goat. Thanks for being so complementary and, of course, for putting up with me Hannah! :)

Polly-Leah- I know I did kind of force you to read this (well, you are my sister...) but thanks anyway. :)

Saimhe (without whom chapter 4 would probably still be missing)

Oxtenshixo

Bubbles1969

Weezer42

Courtney

Chaz

Flowerfairy30

LittleCritter16- my fave second cousin :)

Kyriana42- and thanks for all the messages as well- you make me laugh :) (in a good way)

ASM-HLS

CakeyxClikx

Cara

Dyrne-Faemne

Glitterball4

Lov3is4lif3

PrimevalLover

Thank you all so much! And thank you for reading it.

Steph


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